The Best Way To Behave Towards A Street Dog
Who hasn’t met a street dog in public at some point ? While some of them may have been lost, many have been abandoned by their owners. Here we explain how to behave when you meet a four-pawed, homeless friend.
If you come across a street dog, don’t ignore it
First of all, don’t ignore the situation. Remember that the dog is severely traumatized by the difficult situation in which he lives.
The street dog is definitely afraid, hungry or thirsty. He is also exposed to various dangers, such as a traffic accident or various types of violence.
So, if your circumstances allow you, take care of the matter personally. If you are unable to, ask someone you know to make the necessary decisions, or contact your shelter.
Be sure to follow the advice in this article to heart so that you know how to handle a street dog.
How to behave towards a street dog
In order to approach the dog, pay attention to the following details beforehand:
- He shouldn’t show aggressiveness.
- He shouldn’t appear sick or have any injuries. If the animal is in pain, it may try to attack you.
In these cases, call an animal shelter for help.
However, if the street dog appears calm, then you can patiently and carefully try to approach yourself to gain his trust.
- Walk very slowly towards the street dog.
- Avoid quick movements.
- Talk to him in a soft, soothing voice.
- If you have some food with you, you can offer it to him but keep yourself at a distance. You can also give him fresh water.
Try to find out if the dog is registered
If you find that the dog is losing its suspicion, you can try petting it. To do this, hold out your hand so that he can sniff at it.
If the fur nose stays calm, then you can try to leash him, even if it is only a temporary leash for now. If he has a dog tag, you can try contacting his owner.
You should definitely take him to the nearest veterinary clinic. There it can be determined whether the animal can be identified by a microchip. While you’re there, the vets can check his general health right away.
Be aware that even a dog without a microchip can have an owner, which is why you could start a public search: design posters and post them on the side of the road or in shopping centers. Also publish his photo on social networks to find his rightful owner.
Adopt the street dog or find new owners for it
But if the dog’s owner doesn’t show up right away, or if he just doesn’t have one, then the question still arises what to do with the street dog. There are different possibilities. Here are some of them:
- Adopt him.
- Give him temporary accommodation , or ask someone you trust to look after him while you look for a new home for him.
- Take him to a shelter.
In many countries the public authorities take care of the street dog, but this is not always the best solution for the animal. Often the dogs are put to sleep here after a short time if their owners cannot be found and nobody wants to adopt them.
Fortunately, this situation is changing around the world and in some cities, such as Madrid, it is now illegal to euthanize a street dog. However, a lot of work and awareness remains in animal welfare so that people understand that animals cannot simply be used and thrown away.
