You’ve found a dog!
Thank you for wanting to help to reunite a family!

FIRST:
Check for a collar and tags with identifying information. If you cannot find one, remember the dog may have a microchip. If at all possible, take the dog to a local vet clinic or to Animal Control to have it scanned for a microchip, which will contain owner information.

SECOND:
If you are unable to locate owner information, please call your local Animal Control to file a “found animal” report.
Stafford Animal Control: 540-658-7387
If it is after-hours, call the non-emergency number for Stafford County Sheriff’s Office: 540-658-4400. But follow up with a call directly to Animal Control the next morning.

We at the Stafford SPCA are rarely able to take in strays because we usually operate at capacity.
Call us to file a found animal report, and to see if we have a lost report that may match. Or fill out the form below:
Stafford SPCA: 540-657-7387
Click here for Found Animal Report

NEXT:
Visit our Facebook page and “like” us. Once you’ve become a fan of our page, you can post to the page. Post a photo of your found pet, a description of the location found, and your contact phone number.
We will share the found reports to our page in order to reach our entire audience of 10,000+ in the Stafford community. Many pets ARE reunited this way!

THEN:
Create a flyer to post around your neighborhood, or the area where you found the animal. Be sure the flyer includes a good picture, pertinent information, and your contact information.

FOLLOW UP:
If you are able to keep the found dog in your home, be sure to follow up each day with Animal Control to ensure that no lost dog report has come in that might match your found dog’s description.
If you are unable to keep the dog in your home and must surrender to Animal Control, you can continue to post information on our Facebook page and your own, in an effort to keep spreading the word to the dog’s owners.

Other things you can do to follow up:

• Place a Free Lost/Found Pet Ad in the Free Lance Star.
  Call them at 540-374-5001, since they take free ad requests only over the phone. The ad will run for 3 days in the paper and one day online.
• Search Facebook for the many pages dedicated to reuniting lost and found pets, and post your found dog there. Also look for lost dog reports on these sites when you’re there.
• Utilize other internet pet finding organizations, such as pets911.com, petamberalert.com, helpinglostpets.com, and many others!
• Post an ad on Craiglist with a good picture of your lost dog and the general location lost.