Straydar: Resources

How to Help a Homeless Hound
As a library student, I had an assignment to create a pathfinder on a particular topic that was relevant or interesting to me. I created one on helping stray dogs, and figured it might actually be of use to actual people. So I share with you here.

According to the ASPCA, about 75 million dogs are owned throughout the U.S., but "it is impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States; estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million." Statistics like this indicate it's not unlikely that, at some point, you may encounter a dog who seems to have been someone's pet, but is now roaming alone and in need of some help. Typically, those who find stray animals want to help but are unable to keep the animal, and many resources exist for people wanting to take a stray animal to a shelter or rescue. However, less advice is available for those considering keeping the animal as a pet.

If you are an animal lover who finds a friendly homeless dog, you may be interested in making it a permanent member of your family, or in helping to find it a home as quickly as possible. In this pathfinder, you will find a number of resources to help you consider your options and learn what first steps you should take, as well as provide resources for a successful adoption should you decide this dog and your household are right for each other.

This information is specifically geared toward those living in Montgomery County, Ohio, but much of the information can be applied to any location.

Homeless or Lost? Locating an Owner

Missing Pet Partnership encourages people to "think lost, not stray" when they find an animal unattended, because "someone who believes that a dog was dumped is more likely to self-adopt that dog rather than attempt to find its owner." Pets in Ohio are required by law to be registered and have a tag on their collar, but just because dog is on its own and doesn't have a collar doesn't necessarily mean it's homeless-- it may have simply slipped out of it's collar. Remember to have the dog checked by a vet or animal shelter (see the list of local organizations below) for an implanted microchip, which can help reunite lost pets with their owners.

If the dog doesn't have tags or a registered microchip, the following websites offer tips for helping to locate a lost dog's owner, or allow users to post about lost & found dogs in Dayton, Ohio and beyond.

Dayton Daily News Classifies - Dogs

Humane Society of Greater Dayton - Found Dogs

SICSA Lost & Found

Missing Pet Network

Montgomery County Animal Resource Center's Lost & Found

Pet FBI

If you have reason to believe the animal has been abused or neglected and are concerned about returning it to it's owner, learn about what you can do through the Humane Society of Greater Dayton's Cruelty & Neglect Investigations page. You can file an online cruelty report, or report over the phone by calling 855-PETS-911 (855-878-7911).

Considering Your Options

As you continue the search for the dog's owner, consider your next step. These articles address some basic considerations for those who have found a dog and are considering keeping it as a pet.

What to do if you find a stray pet, from the Humane Society of the United States

Handling a Stray, from HowStuffWorks.com

Recovery Tips - I Found a Stray Dog, from Missing Pet Partnership

Veterinary Attention

A strange dog shouldn't be introduced to your home and other family pets until it has been checked out by a vet. But taking the dog to the vet requires you to be prepared to pay for it's medical care. The Humane Society suggests "before you take an injured animal to a private veterinary hospital for treatment, be willing to assume financial responsibility for the animal before treatment begins. Good care is not cheap, and many veterinarians have many Samaritans in their waiting rooms every year." If you aren't willing to take financial responsibility for the dog's medical care, you should probably consider turning the dog in at an animal shelter or rescue organization instead of keeping it.

For information about low cost options for basic medical care and spay/neuter services visit:

Rascal Unit - affordable, mobile veterinary clinic that travels throughout Ohio

Humane Society of Greater Dayton - Spay & Neuter Services - Dayton area resources for low cost sterilization, vaccination, and other basic veterinary needs

If you discover the dog needs immediate or serious medical treatment and you want to try raising funds to take care of the costs, you could try sharing the dog's story with family and friends by starting a website or blog, and raising money through one of the following sites:

Microgiving.com - an online fundraising website that lets you create your own fundraiser

Paypal Donations - sign up for a Paypal account and add a "Donate" button to your website or blog, allowing people to make donations online using a credit card

Financial Assistance for Veterinary Care (via SpeakingforSpot.com) - Lists some organizations that may be able to provide you with some financial assistance paying for veterinary care.

Resources for Individuals (via BestFriends.org) - Lots of advice about what one person can do, from fundraising, to becoming an animal foster parent.

Training and Care

Once you've exhausted all options for tracking down the dog's former owners, you may decide to adopt the dog and make it a permanent member of your family. But you may still have a lot of work ahead. A new dog needs to learn the rules of your house, which may be very different from the environment this dog is used to. The following articles give advice about some basics of general care, house-training, and reinforcing good behavior, especially in relation to rescued dogs. Several of the articles address the benefits of fostering dogs who are awaiting their permanent home, which may apply if you are still trying to locate the owner or are undecided about keeping the dog permanently.

Free on the web

Training Tips - from Rocket Dog Rescue in San Francisco

Rehabilitating Your Rescued Dog: Using Positive, Gentle and Kind Techniques (pdf download) - from BestFriends.org

Adoption Tips - a list of articles from Cesar's Way

After Pet Adoption - a list of articles from Petfinder.com

Journal Articles

Marder, Amy (2001, March 01). Crate training know-how. Prevention, (3), 174, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com. Dayton Metro Library card is required for access.

Moran, P. (1999). Help the Canine Mind!. Dog World, 84(6), 146.

From the abstract: "Argues that the dog training based on learning theory and positive reinforcement foster negative control techniques. What dog owners need to learn; Categories and examples of punishment common in pet-owning households." Accessed through EBSCOHost. Full text is available to all Ohio residents, courtesy of Ohio libraries.

Swanson, D. (2011). Half Way Home. Dog World, 96(1), 36.

From the abstract: "The article discusses the advantages of foster homes for rescue and homeless dogs awaiting adoption." Accessed through EBSCOHost. Full text is available to all Ohio residents, courtesy of Ohio libraries.

Tame Your Pet Costs. (2011). Consumer Reports, 76(8), 30.

From the abstract: "The article presents recommendations to pet owners, specifically for those that own dogs and cats, on ways in which they can reduce the costs associated for caring for their pets." Accessed through EBSCOHost. Full text is available to all Ohio residents, courtesy of Ohio libraries.

Tracey, Linda (2002, September 01). Blind devotion: fostering a dog guide can be a labour of love for the whole family. Today's Parent, (8), Insert, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com. Dayton Metro Library card is required for access.

Further Reading & Knowledge

Want to learn more about caring for a rescued dog? Find more information at your local library!

Books from local libraries

	Benjamin, C. L. (1988). Second-hand dog: How to turn yours into a first-rate pet. New York, N.Y: Howell Book House.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	McLennan, B. (2007). Rescue me!. Freehold, NJ: Kennel Club Books.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Palika, L. (1997). Save that dog!: Everything you need to know about adopting a purebred rescue dog. New York: Howell Book House.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Silverman, J. (2010). Take 2: Training solutions for rescued dogs. Freehold, NJ: Kennel Club Books.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Taylor, D. (2006). Old dogs, new tricks: Understanding and retraining older and rescued dogs. Richmond Hill, Ont: Firefly Books.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Tennant, C. (2010). Breaking bad habits in dogs: Learn to gain the obedience and trust of your dog by understanding the way that it thinks and behaves. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron's.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Wilson, D. (1993). Curing your dog's bad habits: Treating behavioral problems. New York: Sterling Pub. Co.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Kilcommons, B., & Wilson, S. (1992). Good owners, great dogs. New York: Warner Books.	Find it at the Washington- Centerville Library

Instructional videos from local libraries

	Revodition (Producer). (2008). Dogs : choosing, caring & training [Motion picture on DVD]. United States [Hallandale, FL]: Educouch.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library
	Baker, J. (Director), Robinson, A. L. (Writer), & E Dog Training Inc. (Producer). (2006). Drool school : family dog training [Motion picture on DVD]. United States: Carry-Tale Productions.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library

	Tawzer Dog Videos (Producer), & McConnell, P. B. (Instructor). (2004). Reading between the lines. Part 1 & 2 [Motion picture on DVD]. United States [Black Earth, WI]: Dogs Best Friend.	Find it at the Dayton Metro Library

Subject Headings & Keywords

When searching for materials in a library catalog, knowing precise subject search terms (known as subject headings) can be helpful. The following terms are official Library of Congress subject headings, which may help you find books classified under these topics:

Dogs; Dog adoption; Dog rescue; Dogs -- training; Dogs -- behavior; Dogs -- health

You may also wish to try a keyword search, with allows you to search using more natural language but which may broaden your results to include other topics. Some helpful keywords might include:

dog, stray, rescue, pet, adopt, foster, training

Call Numbers to Browse

Information about dogs can be found in the following areas of these common library classification systems:

Dewey Decimal Classification	636.7
Library of Congress Classification	SF421-SF440

Agencies & Organizations

The following organizations may be able to provide you with guidance specific to your unique situation. Keep in mind that shelters and rescue organizations are overcrowded, underfunded, and they encounter heartbreaking stories of mistreated and abandoned animals every day. They also often have animals dumped on their doorstep, and they have to make difficult choices about who they are able to help. In order for them to help the animal directly, they will likely require you to surrender the animal to their organization, or to complete a pet-fostering application process if you are interested in providing a temporary home for the dog.

Local Organizations

Organization	Location/Contact
SICSA (Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals)	2600 Wilmington Pike Kettering, OH 45419 General information: 937-294-6505 info@sicsa.org
Humane Society of Greater Dayton	1661 Nicholas Road Dayton, OH 45417 937-268-PETS (7387) Send a message
Montgomery County Animal Shelter	6790 Webster St. Dayton, OH 45414 937-898-4457 AnimalShelter@mcohio.org
Dayton, Ohio shelters & rescues	listed on Petfinder.com