Adopt A Pit. Not the Bull!
Lost & Found Dogs
What to do if you lose a dog you adopted from us...
Accidents happen. Doors and gates get left open, dogs slip collars and run off. It just happens. If you adopted from us and your dog gets out and doesn't come back right away, we are here to help!
1. Call or Facebook message us. We not only notify the microchip company (remember, the chip has to stay in our name), who puts out alerts to its network of pet finders, but we will post a missing alert on our Facebook Page to reach our network of followers.
2. Post the dog to online Lost/Found sites:
- Dayton Ohio and Surrounding Area Lost and Found Pets on Facebook
- SICSA Lost & Found Pet Report
- Finding Rover
- Pet FBI
- Fido Finder
3. Check your local shelter. If you are in Montgomery County, that is the ARC at 937-898-4457. You can also look at photos on PetHarbor, but you will have a better chance of identifying your pet if you go there in person. For more information visit ARC's Website.
4. Print and post flyers near the area you live. You can make flyers at Pet FBI
Make sure you let us know when you get your dog back so we can take the post down from our Facebook and let the microchip company know!
What to do if you find a dog...
We receive dozens of emails and Facebook messages every day from people who find pit bulls or other bully breed dogs who don't want to take them to the county shelter for fear they will be euthanized. While this is a real concern, there is a procedure that needs to be followed when you find a dog. While many of the dogs may just be strays, there are dogs whose owners are worried and looking for them, and you need to give them the best chance of being reunited with their owners.
1. If a dog has a dog license, you can look up the number and contact the owner, or in Montgomery County, call ARC at 937-898-4457 and they can look up the owner.
Click here to look up a dog license online in Montgomery County, Ohio
Click here to look up a dog license online in Greene County, Ohio
Click here to look up a dog license online in Warren County, Ohio
2. Check for a microchip. Even if a dog doesn't have a collar with tags, if they are microchipped, the chip can be their ticket home. You can take a dog to SICSA, Humane Society of Greater Dayton, or most veterinary offices to be scanned for a microchip.
If the dog doesn't have a microchip, at the minimum, you must call ARC (in Montgomery County, or your local county shelter) to file a Found Report while you search for the owner.
From the Montgomery County (Ohio) Animal Resource Center's website:
"If you find a dog that is not wearing a license tag and you wish to provide a temporary home, call the Animal Resource Center at 937-898-4457. Give the shelter all of the available information on the dog and a Found Report will be posted at the shelter."
This found report will allow an owner who goes to the shelter to look for their dog to be notified that you have their dog. However, it's not the same as seeing their dog! So make sure you post other places, including a GOOD picture!
3. Post the dog to online Lost/Found sites:
- Dayton Ohio and Surrounding Area Lost and Found Pets on Facebook
- SICSA Lost & Found Pet Report
- Finding Rover
- Pet FBI
- Fido Finder
4. Check the lost/found section of your local paper. Some people still use this!
5. Print and post flyers near the area you found the dog. You can make flyers at Pet FBI
If you are not able to locate the owner of the dog after 10 days and cannot keep the dog, then you can reach out to rescues to see if they can take in the dog. Many local rescues will not take the dog, stating that state law prohibits them from taking in strays. That is simply not true. Adopt A Pit is often not able to take in strays because we simply do not have available foster homes for them. If you are willing to foster a stray, we may be able work with you to help you find a home for an abandoned dog.
If you cannot foster, we encourage you to try to find a rescue that is available to take in the dog. Again, we recommend PAWS Adoption Center in Monroe or you could try to find a home using rehome.adoptapet.com or home-home.org