Finding a stray

STRAYS

Not all strays are abandoned pets there are many different reasons a pet could find themselves wandering the streets. Cats and dogs usually stray for various reasons. 

Cats

• They are being fed elsewhere
• They wander too far and get lost
• They are distracted while hunting and don’t realise they left their usual territory 
• They are not neutered and are looking for a partner
• They hide to give birth to kittens
• They are abandoned because the owner can no longer look after them
• They are stolen

Dogs

• They can get lost during off-lead exercise 
• They escape from a garden
• If they haven’t been neutered, they may get the scent of another unneutered dog and run away to find them
• They are abandoned
• They are stolen

If you find an animal that you suspect may be a stray you have several options. Always keep yourself safe and do not approach an animal that is frightened or showing signs of aggression. 

CATS

For cats, you could contact a cat charity in your local area and tell them. They may have volunteers that could come out and scan the cat for a microchip and that could help reunite a cat with its owner. Alternatively, you could attempt to catch the cat and take it in a cat box to a shelter or vet surgery to be scanned for a microchip. You could take a photograph and put it on social media or forward it to the local rehoming places to see if anyone is looking for their pet.

DOGS

For dogs, you should try to make sure the dog is safe while keeping yourself safe also! If possible, put a lead on the dog to prevent it from running away again, and then contact the local dog warden. Their contact details are found on your Local Authority website. There are several rehoming centres and charities such as The Dogs Trust that you could contact. You could also take the dog to a local vet surgery who will scan the pet and check if anyone has reported it missing. In Scotland, you can also take a dog to a Police Station to be scanned for a microchip. 

By law, all dogs in the UK and cats in England must now be microchipped and the details on the database be kept current, but this is not always the case. If an animal is not reunited with their owner, then they will be assessed for re-homing and placed in a shelter. 

If you find an injured animal that you cannot take to a vet clinic then you should call the RSPCA or SSPCA and inform them.