Approaching, chasing, or calling out to a loose dog (or making other noises, such as whistling) are the worst things you can do.

If a loose dog is scared, approaching, chasing, or calling out will frighten them even more. They will perceive you as a threat and run away.

All too often, lost dogs are chased away from an area in which they were known to be staying and could have been safely trapped and rescued. Instead, they are frightened and move to a different location unknown to rescuers, who are back to square one. Or worse, they are chased into harm’s way and face injury and death.

Your first priority is not to scare the dog, which is likely to happen if you approach them. If you can get a picture without approaching the dog, take one.

A picture is the best way for someone who is looking for a lost dog to identify if the dog is theirs. Even a blurry picture from a distance is better than nothing.

Someone is probably desperately looking for the dog you saw. Your sighting could make all the difference in getting the dog safely back to their worried and heartbroken family.

Make note of the day and time of your sighting, the dog’s location, what they were doing when you saw them (walking, running, sitting, lying down), and the direction they are moving, if any. This information will help a rescuer understand the dog’s pattern of behavior.

Remember what the dog looked like, including colors, distinctive markings, size, whether the dog is male or female, whether the dog is wearing a collar or harness, and the colors of any collar or harness.

Look around for lost dog flyers posted on telephone poles or elsewhere. If the dog you saw matches the description on a flyer, get in touch and provide your description, pictures if you were able to take any, and information about the day and time of the sighting, dog’s location, what the dog was doing, and dog’s direction of movement, if any.

Check local social media for posts about missing dogs that match the description of the dog you saw. In central NY, there are several large Facebook groups for lost and found pets. The biggest are Lost & Found Pets of CNY and LOST AND FOUND PETS OF CNY. Another good place to check is Nextdoor.

If you see a social media post for a dog that looks like it could be the one you saw, reply to the post with a detailed description of the dog, the date and time you saw the dog, as well as the dog’s location, what they were doing, and the direction of movement, if any. Add a picture if you were able to take one. If you don’t see any posts for a dog matching the description of the one you saw, create your own post with this information.

Report your sighting to local Dog Control Services.

Attach a leash to the dog if you have one, or make a leash out of anything that will work (rope, belt, scarf, etc.).

Get the dog to a secure, enclosed area as quickly and carefully as possible, such as a fenced yard, car, or building.

Remember that the dog is in an unfamiliar situation and may be scared and try to run, so maintain vigilance and keep a very secure grip on the leash. Be extremely cautious about opening doors (car or house) - the dog could see these as escape opportunities and try to take off.

Look around for lost dog flyers posted on telephone poles or elsewhere. If the dog you saw matches the description on a flyer, call the number.

Check local social media for posts about missing dogs that match the description of the dog. In central NY, there are several large Facebook groups for lost and found pets. The biggest are Lost & Found Pets of CNY and LOST AND FOUND PETS OF CNY. Another good place to check is Nextdoor.

If you are unable to connect with the dog’s owner, call local animal control services. They will come get the dog and take care of the dog while they try to find the owner. See our section Dog Control Services in Central New York.