Over the years of our work, the question we most often get is: “What should I do with an animal found on the street?” Many people, not wanting to burden themselves with extra worries, simply ignore the poor stray and leave it to fate. Others think that another good-hearted person will come along—someone with more time and less fear of life’s added challenges. And a third group may want to help, but doesn’t know where to start. We want to tell you about three key steps that can help an animal find its owner—or, if it was abandoned deliberately, help it find new owners. At the very least, you’ll save it from homelessness, and possibly even death.
1. First, you should search for the owner in the area where you found the animal. It’s very important to walk around the nearby area and ask people nearby if they know anything or have seen someone looking for a pet.
2. Once you’ve confirmed that the owner isn’t nearby, the greatest help would be to take the stray into your home temporarily while you complete the other steps or until the old or new owners are found. At the very least, you should feed and give the animal water. If you’re unable to take in the animal, contact the nearest shelter about next steps and bringing it to the closest shelter. They will then take over the animal and continue the search for its owner. If you’re unable to bring the animal to the shelter yourself, be sure to inform them. The shelter can arrange for the animal to be brought into their care.
3. Later, if the animal stays with you, you should photograph it and send its photo along with a detailed description of the whole story to our Facebook profile (Lietuva – Gyvūnams). The description must include this information: a brief description of the animal’s appearance (what it’s like, how it reacts to people, what it looks like, etc.), distinctive features, the location where you found the animal (address, city—the more specific, the better), and your contact phone number. If the animal ends up at a shelter, its volunteers always share a photo and description of the new stray arrival, and we, in turn, share their post with our followers. It often happens that owners search for their lost pets at shelters, because people find them and bring them to the nearest shelter.
If the owner doesn’t appear within a couple of weeks, the animal is listed as available to go to a new home with new owners.