Last night, a near tragedy occurred. I was biking home and saw a Wheaton run across a main intersection off-leash. The owner could not be found. It was dark. No one knew the dog's name. She was afraid and running away from people who tried to approach.
When faced with this situation, there are things YOU CAN DO so that you have the same result we did last night: thank goodness, Nola was found and returned safely to her mom.
1. NEVER CHASE A DOG WHO IS RUNNING AWAY. Our gut says pounce. Theirs sees flight. Instead, run in the opposite direction, making lots of excited noise, and encourage the dog to follow you.
2. If possible, lead the dog towards an area that can be confined- a yard, a store, etc. and once securely inside, secure the dog to you. REPEAT: NEVER CHASE!!!!!!!!!!!
3. Many heads and bodies are better than one: notify as many people as you can and encourage a search team. Post what you saw on community FB groups, notify dog walkers- we know each other and have our own FB groups.
4. Don't give up. More often than not, these dogs are returned safely home.