Who do you call when you find a stray dog?

Good Samaritans are often unsure about who to call when they find a stray dog.

In Cuyahoga County, many towns and cities, such as the City of Cleveland, have their own dog or animal warden. Check your local government listings to find out if your municipality is one of them. If not, the Cuyahoga County Kennel serves all of Cuyahoga County.

Dog wardens enforce vicious dog, stray dog and other dog ordinances, license dogs, and reunite lost dogs with their owners. Ohio law requires that dogs be held a minimum of three days if they’re not wearing any identification, fourteen days if they’re wearing a dog license, or seven days if they’re wearing another form of I.D. They also adopt out dogs that have not been claimed by the end of their holding period. Dog wardens do not take in dogs that owners wish to surrender and do not accept owned or stray cats.

Humane societies, such as the Cleveland Animal Protective League, are private, independent, nonprofit organizations that enforce the animal cruelty and protection laws in the county in which they’re located. In general, they DO NOT receive government funding or tax dollars. Depending on their individual policies, humane societies typically accept owner surrendered pets, stray cats and animals seized during the course of animal cruelty or neglect investigations. Some also take in unclaimed stray dogs after the local dog warden has held the dog for the required period.

The Cleveland APL is among the shelters that are trying to help dog wardens increase their adoption rates and reduce their euthanasia rates. Adoptable dogs from shelters that are running out of space, but are trying not to use euthanasia to make room, are transferred to the Cleveland APL where they stay up for adoption until they find a home. The Cleveland City Kennel and Cuyahoga County Kennel are among those who send dogs to the Cleveland APL for adoption.
In Cuyahoga County, whether you’ve lost a dog or found a dog, check the following website to find some helpful tips and the number of the animal warden in your community: http://www.doglicense.com/counties/cuyahoga/lost/index.htm. If you reside in Cleveland, you can call the Cleveland City Kennel at (216) 664-3069, otherwise contact the Cuyahoga County Kennel at (216) 525-PUPS.