Ultimately you, as the owner, are the responsible party.

How do we identify dogs?
1. On the collar:
• rabies tags
• microchip tag
• owner ID tag
2. Microchips - most large shelters have all scanners. If you are unsure of what type of microchip to buy for your pet, call your local shelters and see what scanners they have. The purchase a chip readable by one of the scanners.
3. Online lost pet services- many rescues subscribe to the services and are notified in missing pet ads are listed for pets in their area.

Where to look for a missing pet:
• Animal control -call your local animal control to find out if they have picked up the dog. Also ask where they take any animals that have come in for them, then check with that shelter.
• Local shelters- checked all shelters within a 50 mi. radius. If the dog was picked up by a passerby they could end up almost anywhere.
• Vet offices - check with local vet offices in your area, if the dog was injured someone may have taken them to the nearest vet office.
• Breed-specific rescues - if your dog is a specific breed, check with the breed-specific rescues in your area. Note that many breed-specific rescues may transport across state lines based on the area that they serve, where the dog is and where they are located. Internet searches with the breed name, the word “rescue” and the state can quickly locate a rescue for almost any breed.
• If your dog is a mix or there is not a rescue specific to your breed, contact Colorado All breed rescue for the Denver area, or Colorado Springs All Breed Rescue.
• Place an ad on one of the many lost pet services on the Internet. Many rescues subscribe to the services and are notified that the dog is missing and they can help keep the lookout for him. (links coming soon)

What happens if your dog ends up in a shelter?
1. If your dog comes in as a stray, most shelters will put them on “stray hold”.
2. They will hold the dog from two to five days waiting for an owner to contact them depending on how full the shelter is.
3. If the dog is not claimed within the stray hold period, the dog will be moved to an adoptable state where the shelter will try to find a new home for the dog.
4. If the dog is not adopted within a specific period of time, the dog will be either euthanized or turned over to a rescue. Shelters have limited space and funds and can only keep dogs for a specified number of days.
5. If a rescue has placed a “last hold” on the dog, the rescue will be contacted to come get the dog. Shelters do not typically turned dogs over to rescue before they have had the chance to try and place them as they turn a substantial income off of their adoptions. There are special cases where a rescue will be contacted and asked to take a dog because they are sick and the shelter is unable to care for them or they feel they are special-needs dog in the shelter would prefer someone from a year with the breed to find a new home for them.
6. If the dog makes it to rescue, the dog is then evaluated by the rescue members to determine the most appropriate home. Most reputable rescues have an application process that screens all their applicants in order to provide the best possible homes for the animals.
7. The dog will then be placed in the most appropriate home words needs with the hopes that it will never be homeless again.

Rescues may save your dogs life, but you may not be the home he goes to!
Contact the rescues as soon as possible to prevent them from placing your dog in a new home. Rescue organizations have many close contacts in large areas and can put the word out about a missing dog.

Checklists

How to keep your dog from getting out of the first place:
• Do you have an escape artist?
• Is your fence secure? Are there holes or loose pickets?
• Do you bolt your gates? Many dogs learn quickly how to open gates by watching their owners.
• Can your dog open doors? If so make sure that she keep your doors dead bolted or securely locked.
• are your screen doors secure? Many dogs can open screen doors if they are not locked.
• Are your window screens secure? If not, be sure to keep windows closed far enough so that the dog cannot escape.

If you are leaving town with your dog:
• Make sure there's a way to identify your dogs by having a collar on them, and/or have been microchip, and register the microchip so that you can be contacted in the event that they are found.
• Bring copies of rabies certificates, is often have tag numbers which can be used to identify the dog.
• Include your cell number on tags, so that you can be quickly notified you are away.

If you are leaving town without your dog, and the dog will be left with a sitter:
• Know your sitter!
• Make sure your sitter knows your dogs. Introduce them prior to your leaving town.
• Leave number where you can be reached.
• Leave the phone number for your veterinarian.
• Leave an emergency contact number for someone close to you that knows the animals and can offer assistance if necessary.
• Leave care instructions, including a schedule for any medications, food, and any other issue your sitter may need to be aware of.
• Leave numbers for the local animal control so they can be easily contacted in the event that the dog is lost.
• Make a list of local shelters and people to contact in case the dog is lost. This will come in handy for yourself as well as any sitter's.
• Make sure there's a way to identify your dogs by having a collar on them, and/or have been microchip, and register the microchip so that you can be contacted in the event that they are found.

If you are leaving town without your dog, and the dog will be left in a kennel:
• Know your kennel! Check references!
• Make sure your kennel knows your dogs. Introduce them prior to your leaving town.
• Leave number where you can be reached.
• Leave the phone number for your veterinarian.
• Leave an emergency contact number for someone close to you that knows the animals and can offer assistance if necessary.
• Leave care instructions, including a schedule for any medications, food, and any other issue your sitter may need to be aware of.
• Leave numbers for the local animal control so they can be easily contacted in the event that the dog is lost. When it dog escapes from a kennel, he may try to find his way back home.
• Make a list of local shelters and people to contact in case the dog is lost. This will come in handy for yourself as well as any sitter's and kennel.

Ultimately you, as the owner, are the responsible party.