Do you know where your dog is right now? Is your cat safely tucked inside at night? It is our responsibility to keep our pets safe. When pets escape they may think it a great adventure of freedom but they are actually at risk to being exposed to many threats and dangers to their well-being and lives.

As an advocate for animals, people call me often when they find lost dogs, asking me what to do with them. What do you do when you see a dog running free alongside a road or busy street? Do you just drive by or try to help it? When a dog is running free it is in re danger, whether it is a stray or someone's beloved pet. So what should we do when we find a lost dog or cat?

Here are a few suggestions on how you can better help our little domestic furry companions next time you find one lost and in need of your assistance. The first thing to do is try to catch it, if you are not at risk of being hurt to do so. In high traffic areas be safe and try to steer the animal in the direction away from traffic. Most likely they will run away from you at first. So make sure they run away from traffic too.

If you are not able to catch the animal call your local animal control so they can send someone out to help. Or, you can call people you know in the area to meet you to help with the rescue effort. As a volunteer with a greyhound rescue group I receive email notices when a greyhound has escaped requesting that whoever is able come out and help with the rescue attempt. We come together as a community to help keep our greyhounds safe. So, ask for help when you are trying to help a lost or stray dog or cat.

Next thing to do is check for identification. It amazes me how many pets don't have even a name tag on their collar, making it very inconvenient for any Good Samaritan to help get them safely back to their family. A simple name tag with an address and phone number costs a whopping $5-10 at any local pet or hardware store. How much is your beloved furry family member worth? Please make sure your pet has at least a name collar with your phone number on it!

Then check to see if they have a license or if they are micro chipped. You will have to stop in the nearest veterinarian's office to ask them to scan for a microchip to find out. The license or microchip will provide the pet's owner name and contact information if it is current. That is another pet peeve of mine. If you move or change your phone number, please make sure that information is current on your pet's identification tags and license as well.

Now that you have the owner information, attempt to contact them and inform them that you have found their pet running loose. Make arrangements with them to meet and return their pet. This is an ideal scenario. Usually there isn't identification that makes it that easy.

If there isn't any noticeable identification then you can either bring them to your local humane society or a local animal rescue group of your choice for safe keeping until their owners try to find them. This is tricky because you need to make sure wherever you bring them that they will be safe and not be accidentally euthanized as a stray, unwanted animal. Ideally, if you are able, try to keep them with you.

Then put the word out in every way you possibly can in your community that you have found a lost dog or cat. Send emails with a photo. Make flyers with a photo and description of where the animal was found and some of its personality traits or the condition it is in. Get others involved especially if you are not able to do much of what is needed to get them safely home and reunited with their people family.

It is very inconvenient to help a lost pet find its home especially when they have no identification to help make it as easy as a simple phone call. But, it is worth the effort when you know you have saved a life and reunited a pet with a family that loves and misses it. Rescuing lost pets saves lives! It is worth the effort!