You found a stray animal: a step-by-step guide

The first thing worth knowing: a large share of animals people find on the street are not strays but lost pets. They have a home, and someone is looking for them right now. So the most important thing is not to rush and not to make sudden moves.

Step 1. Assess the situation from a distance

Before approaching, just watch for a few seconds. You are looking for answers to three questions: is the animal injured, is it frightened or aggressive, and is it alone or with others.

• A dog standing sideways, tail low, licking its nose, looking away — frightened, but not planning to attack.
• A dog frozen in place, staring straight at you, raised hackles, a low growl — do not approach at all.
• A cat pressed to the ground, ears back, pupils dilated — it is in panic and may scratch even the kindest person.
• An animal that cannot stand, breathing fast and shallow, with visible blood — this is an emergency.

Step 2. Approach the right way

The rules are the same for dogs and cats, because they work at the level of basic instinct:

1. 1Crouch down, or at least make yourself smaller — a tall figure looming above reads as a threat.
2. 2Turn sideways, not face-on. Direct eye contact is a challenge in the animal world.
3. 3Do not reach toward the muzzle. Let the animal come and sniff you first.
4. 4Speak quietly and evenly. A high, emotional voice increases arousal.
5. 5If you have food, place it on the ground and step back. This is the fastest way to build trust.

Step 3. Check whether the animal has a home

Signs that you are looking at a lost pet rather than a street animal:

• A collar, harness, or a mark left by a collar in the fur.
• Well-kept coat, trimmed claws, clean teeth.
• The animal is not afraid of people, knows commands, sits at the kerb.
• The dog does not know how to cross a road — street dogs do this confidently, house dogs freeze.
• The cat meows at people — street cats are usually silent around strangers.

Always check for a microchip. It is painless: a scanner is held over the shoulder blades and shows a number within seconds. Most veterinary clinics and volunteer organisations have a scanner and usually do this free of charge.

Step 4. Search for the owner online

This is the most effective channel — it is where owners post about missing pets. Act in several places at once:

• Local Facebook groups for lost and found animals in your city or district. Scroll recent posts first — a notice about this exact animal may already be there.
• Groups for your building, housing complex or neighbourhood — the owner often lives two yards away.
• Topic-based Telegram and Viber chats.
• Nearby veterinary clinics — owners call them first.

In your post, include: where and when you found the animal, species, approximate size, colour, and whether it wore a collar. Always add a photo — it brings several times more responses than text alone.

Step 5. If no owner appears

A reasonable period of active searching is about two weeks. After that there are a few paths:

• Fostering the animal yourself or with friends while looking for a new home through the same groups.
• Contacting a shelter. Keep in mind that shelters are almost always overcrowded, so a place may not be available immediately.
• If the animal is clearly a street animal, healthy and socialised in its own yard, the most humane option is sometimes to have it neutered and returned to its territory while continuing to feed it.

In any case, before bringing a found animal into a home that already has pets, keep it separate for at least two weeks and have it examined by a vet. This protects everyone.

In short

1. 1Assess from a distance: injuries, fear, aggression.
2. 2Approach sideways, low, without sudden movements.
3. 3Check the collar and scan for a microchip.
4. 4Post in local groups with a photo.
5. 5Keep one identifying detail back to verify the owner.
6. 6Do not mix the found animal with your own pets right away.