The procedure to follow, if you lose or a find a dog, varies depending on the situation. In all cases time is of the essence, to ensure the dog is happily reunited with his or her family as soon as possible. Here is a helpful guide we’ve compiled.

Have you LOST a dog?

DAWG is NOT the first place you will want to check if you have lost a dog. We do not take in stray or lost dogs at the shelter UNLESS they are dogs that were adopted from us. Please call Santa Barbara County Animal Services first at (805) 681-5285, located at 5473 Overpass Road. Report your dog missing, and find out if anyone has brought your dog to them. There are also County Animal Services located in Lompoc, and Santa Maria.

Have you lost a DAWG dog? Contact DAWG to see if someone has brought the dog to us. All DAWG dogs have microchips. Visit www.homeagain.com for valuable resources, and to learn more about how microchips help lost pets find their families.

We strongly recommend visiting the shelter in person as often as possible to look for your dog. People’s descriptions of dogs can vary widely, and you might not recognize your own dog as described through the eyes of a shelter worker.

Have you FOUND a dog?

First, be careful if you approach the dog. Use caution and common sense to determine if you should keep your distance, for the safety of both you and the dog.

If you can’t safely read the dog’s tags:
Call Santa Barbara County Animal Services. Give them as clear a description as possible with the breed, size and location of the dog. County Animal Services is the best place for lost dogs to be found. They will scan the dog’s microchip and try to contact the owner.

If you are able to approach the dog and read its tags, proceed accordingly:

• A Dog With Personal Tags: Call the phone number on the personal tag first. If you are unable to contact them, check for other tags, or call SB Animal Control
• A DAWG Tag: If you see that the dog is also wearing a DAWG tag (or ONLY a DAWG tag), please call us immediately at (805) 681-0561. We will take in a lost DAWG dog at our facility and attempt to contact the adopter ourselves using our database.
• NO tags: Contact SB County Animal Services. DAWG is unable to help lost dogs, unless they are former DAWG dogs.

We hope you will never face the heartache and anguish of losing your dog. However, resources are available to help you reunite with your canine friend.