Loose Animals

Loose Animals are in Danger

Too many well-meaning pet owners expose their pets to needless danger and tragedy because they allow their animals to run loose in their neighborhood. Animals running "free" are not free at all, they are in danger. Because we have domesticated dogs and cats, they depend upon us for everything, including making sure that they remain as safe as possible. Furthermore, many cities have ordinances against loose animals.

The Dangers:

Dogs and cats running loose in the neighborhood are exposed to many dangers every day, including, but not limited to:

automobiles (the #1 killer of loose dogs and cats)
becoming lost
being stolen
abuse by people
fights with other animals
diseases
poisons (including antifreeze and rat-bait)
extreme weather (winter and summer)
lack of proper food and clean water
injury or death from belts or rotating blades in car engines (cats often crawl under car hoods to escape the cold in winter, dying when the car is started)

The Preventions

The easiest way of protecting your animals from these hazards is to avoid them altogether.

Dogs. Whenever outside of the house or enclosed yard, your dog should always be on a leash. This way you can ensure that he or she is always under control. Even the best obedience-trained dogs can be frightened by sudden movements or loud noises, causing them to bolt.

Cats. Cats never need to go out of the house. They lead perfectly contented--and much longer--lives if they remain indoors at all times. If it is necessary to transport a cat, a secure animal carrier should always be used.

Identification

Even though we all try extremely hard never to loose our animals, accidents sometimes do occur. If a dog or cat accidentally slips out of the home, it is imperative that they are wearing the proper, up-to-date identification tags. In the event that a conscientious person finds your animal, you have a better chance of having your lost animal returned. (Free tags can be obtained from The Anti-Cruelty Society.)

Another form of identification you may consider is the microchip. With this method, a tiny microchip is injected just under your cat’s skin. For the life of your pet, the information on this chip can be read by animal welfare agencies using a special scanner.

However, name tags are not “good luck charms.” Just because an animal is wearing a name tag (or has a microchip) does not mean he or she is invincible. Animals wearing tags still get hit by cars, starve, ingest poisons, are stolen or abused, an so on. Again, the best action is prevention: keep dogs on their leashes and keep cats indoors.

If Your Pet Is Lost

Before you ever loose your pet, you should know what to do if this unfortunate situation ever occurs. The more prepared and organized you are, the more of a chance you have of finding your animal. For instance, keep a current photo of your pet to identify it or to place on "missing" signs.

If you lose your pet: