Beagles to the Rescue!

If you suspect that a dog you have found is a victim of animal cruelty or neglect it is important to report it to animal control in the city the dog is located in. Only animal control can seize dogs, investigate cruelty reports, and get justice for abused and neglected dogs. Be sure you contact the right people, you need animal control/the city or county shelter not a rescue, humane society, or SPCA. 

List of Virginia State Animal Welfare Laws 

Animal Control Contact Information

For dogs found in Chesapeake, VA Click Here

For dogs found in Norfolk, VA Click Here

For dogs found in Virginia Beach, VA Click Here and here

For  dogs found in Portsmouth, VA click Here

For dogs found in Suffolk, VA click Here

For dogs found in Newport News, click here

For dogs found York County, or Poquoson click here

If you need help finding the animal control in your area, aren't sure if the situation is animal cruelty, or have other questions feel free to give us a call at 757-447-7773

There are organizations that provide free dog houses, straw bedding, fencing (for dogs on chains) etc email us at beaglestotherescueva@gmail.com if you would like a list of these groups. 

If you have found a dog running loose it’s important to do everything you can to find the dog’s owner (if it has one) and get it to a safe place. Even if the dog you found looks neglected don't immediately assume it has been abandoned or neglected.  Since a dog on his own can quickly become skinny and covered in ticks it’s hard to tell just by looking at him or her so it’s best to treat every dog like he or she has someone looking for them. Skinny dogs or neglected appearing dog could have been missing for a very long time or have been recently adopted from a shelter or rescue and escaped. Here are the basics for helping a found dog find their way home again. At the bottom of this page we have the Virginia Codes regarding the responsibilities a person who has found a stray animal in trying to find its owner (Check it out, code violators could face fines).

Steps for Handling A Stray Dog

• When you see a stray dog note the exact address (Take a photo of the dog first if in a dangerous area) 
  • Capture the dog if safe (do not chase a scared dog especially near roads) 
  • If you are unable to capture the dog try to get a photo or make note of the dogs breed, age, gender and any distinguishing characteristics 
• If you are able to capture the dog move the dog to a nearby safe and secure area
  • Check for ID. 
    • Look and see if the dog has a collar, check the collar for a tag, an engraved plate that may be riveted to the collar, or contact info embroidered on the collar. If the dog has a harness check the neck, chest, and back areas. Contact the owners if able. 
    • If the dog has a electronic, GPS, or radio collar DO NOT REMOVE IT. It is against Virginia law to remove a tracking collar from a dog without the owners permission. (See code at bottom). In addition to hunters which use these collars to track dogs while hunting many pet owners now use GPS collars to track house pets in the event that they get lost. Newer slim designs may look similar to anti-bark or electric fence collars. See examples at the bottom of this page.
  • If the dog doesn't have a collar or the owners do not answer move to the next step
    • Microchip. If you’re in a rural area or no one has come looking for the dog about an hour after you found the dog take the dog to a vet clinic or animal shelter to be scanned for a microchip (an invisible ID implanted under the skin). You cannot see or feel a microchip. Microchips are not GPS trackers. 
      • If the dog has a microchip the shelter or clinic will try and contact the owners if the dog is not microchipped proceed to the next step 
      • Emergency Vets are open 24/7 there is always a vet open to scan the dog
• Securing the Dog / Decide if you can hold on to it for a few hours
  • If the dog is injured, severely underweight, appears neglected, aggressive, or if you are unable to safety keep the dog for a few hours near where it was found call animal control to pick you the dog or take the dog to a vet, or shelter (they might be able to hold on to the dog until the owners or animal control arrives) give them the address where the dog was found and your contact info, the dog is safe and you are done. If the dog is wearing an electronic, GPS, or radio collar (the collars battery may have died) reach out to animal control for advice. Keep in mind Dogs that are hunting are OFF Leash and might not seem to have anyone around, you can also give us a call if you aren't sure if the dog is currently hunting or a lost dog. 
  • Animal Control Contact Information
    • For dogs found in Chesapeake, VA Click Here
    •   For dogs found in Norfolk, VA Click Here
    •   For dogs found in Virginia Beach, VA Click Here and here
    • For  dogs found in Portsmouth, VA click Here
    • For dogs found in Suffolk, VA click Here
    • For dogs found in Newport News, click here
    • For dogs found York County, or Poquoson click here
  • If you are able to hold on to the dog for a few hours you can start looking for the owners
  • Do NOT take the dog a long distance from where you found it. If you are on vacation or live more than half an hour or so away take the dog to the nearest shelter or vet to where the dog was found. Taking a dog to a shelter, rescue, or your home hours away from where you found it decreases its chances of ever finding its way home.
• Alert People Be aware of SCAM calls/texts, anyone asking for a google verification code is a scam. 
  • Flyers. If the dog doesn’t have a collar or doesn’t have tag take a photo of the dog so you can put up flyers near where the dog was found or send one to a shelter or vet clinic later on. When you make a flyer for outdoor use keep it basic make the text bold and easy to read and if possible put it on bright colored paper. Leave one identifying detail off the flyer (make sure you can't see it in the picture) to help make sure the owners are who they say they are. Put up flyers on street corners and around a one mile circle from where the dog was found, this is the fastest way to find the dog’s owner in the city (See Example Flyer Below).

File a Found Dog Report: 

The next step is to file a found dog report with the city and county shelter (animal control) that serves the area where the dog was found. This is required by law to be done within 48 hours of finding the dog, the sooner the better.  You need to try and find a potentially lost dog’s owner by "reasonable means" (See what's required by VA law at the bottom of this page). Even a dog that may appear skinny or neglected may just have been missing for a long time. The best way to do that is to file a report with the local animal shelter (or shelters if the dog was found in a populated area). Since a picture is worth a thousand words we recommend making a flyer (See Example Below), saving it as a PDF file and emailing it to the shelter. You don’t have to take the dog to the shelter to do this. You can also send this flyer to local vet clinics near where you found the dog. Leave at least one identifying feature off the flyer to use in helping to ID the dog if the owners call.

  For dogs found in Chesapeake, VA Click Here

  For dogs found in Norfolk, VA Click Here

  For dogs found in Virginia Beach, VA Click Here and here

For  dogs found in Portsmouth, VA click Here

For dogs found in Suffolk, VA click Here

For dogs found in Hampton, Newport News, York County, or Poquoson click here

There are numerous resources online for reuniting lost and found pets. PawBoost.com Nextdoor, and several Facebook Groups. The Facebook groups are a great way to get dogs home but keep in mind not every person will check every place. Ideally try to make a report with Animal Control, post the dog on a national lost pet group (like Pawboost) and one of the local lost and found pet pages. Nexdoor is a great option for dogs found near your home. Your local shelter may be able to provide you with some additional resources in your local area. Dogs can travel several miles so make sure you follow all the above steps to make sure you give the dog you found every chance of getting back home. If the dog was not found in your home city be sure to use resources for where the dog was found not where you live. The more places you post the dog the higher the chances it will get home. Here is a sample post

Facebook Networking Groups 

Hampton Roads “Lost & Found Pets- Hampton Roads, VA”  (All Breed-Hampton Roads)

 757/804 Lost and Found Hunting Dogs (Beagles/Hounds Hampton Roads and Richmond)

Upper Peninsula Lost and Found Pets-Williamsburg... (All Breed VA-Williamsburg and Surrounding) 

All of Virginia Virginia Lost and Found Pets (All Breed-VA)

 North East North Carolina Lost and Found Animals in Elizabeth City....  (All Breed NC)

Lost and Found Pets of Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania…(All Breed VA- King George and Surrounding)  

Lost and Found Hounds (Beagles/Hounds- National) 

Northern Virginia Lost and Found Pets (All Breed- Northern VA) 

DC Metro Lost and Found Pets (All Breed DC Metro Area VA/MD Surrounding) 

National Lost Pet Sites

Petco Lovelost.org 

Center For Lost Pets

PawBoost (You do NOT need to pay for this service their free version is all you need) 

The Pet FBI

Lost Dogs of America

Please make sure to keep a list of where you have posted the dog at (See sample below) and update the listings if the dog is reclaimed or taken to a shelter. Write down the name and address of the shelter where the dog was taken to in case the dogs owner contacts you after!