Guides
Here’s How To Help Save A Stray Dog You’ve Found On The Street
It happens in Beirut and outside of the city, you’ll be driving along and notice a stray dog, sometimes a puppy, aimlessly walking right in to moving traffic. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do, but in other cases, there are many ways to help. We recently told you how to help save kittens found on the street, and we have since spoken to the great team at Animals Lebanon for insight on how to do the same for a stray dog or puppy.
Here’s what you need to know, and the steps you’ll need to take to save a stray dog found roaming the streets.
1. Make sure that the dog is, in fact, homeless
It isn’t uncommon for people to let their dogs roam unleashed in Lebanon. So, before you jump to save a homeless dog, make sure that it is, in fact, homeless. If you find their guardian, it is important to tell them that they should keep their dog on a leash at all times (or in a carrier, depending on the size). Being leashed is much safer for dogs – for one, they could be stolen or thought to be homeless and taken. They could be hit by a a car, they could run away from their owner and get lost, and they risk eating poison that they otherwise would have avoided if they were on a leash.
2. Inform the local municipality
Under the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, municipalities have the most responsibility for taking care of homeless dogs. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen over the last few weeks, this isn’t always handled well. But, it is important that you always inform them to help increase their receptiveness, positivity, and pro-activeness towards the cause of animal welfare. The more we engage with municipalities in regards to animals, the more they will be inclined to help, and the more they will be deterred from committing atrocities like the recent poisoning of dogs we witnessed in Tripoli.
3. Provide immediate help if you can confirm that a dog is homeless or sick
Find information about 24 hour emergency services by following this link.
4. Contact an animal welfare organization like Animals Lebanon
Animals Lebanon can offer free vet checks, help search for a foster and adopters, assist with the dog’s capture and transport, and more. The first step is to report the homeless dog to Animals Lebanon by using this link.
Keep in mind that there are several other animal welfare organizations around the country that can provide help, especially depending on your location and their focus on work. Search for the organizations nearest to you when and where you find the dog in need of help. There are several new organizations around the country from Beirut to Tripoli, and dog shelters in a lot of areas, too – like Nahr Ibrahim, Monte Verde, and Naqoura.
It is important to note that there are tens of thousands of homeless dogs currently roaming the streets around Lebanon. Dog shelters are a temporary solution, but even so, they are, by no means an ultimate one. There are not enough shelters, and there is not enough shelter space to compensate for all of the dogs in need. Even if there were, shelters are no place for dogs to be. The most effective way to reduce the increasing number of homeless dogs in Lebanon is to spread awareness and education about them – to encourage positive legislation that would require dogs to be microchipped, pet shops to be regulated, and breeders and pet owners to be educated and monitored. Around the world, these are the most effective methods of regulating and taking care of stray animals – and in so doing making sure that less of them end up homeless, aimlessly wandering the country’s streets.
Here’s what you need to know, and the steps you’ll need to take to save a stray dog found roaming the streets.
1. Make sure that the dog is, in fact, homeless
It isn’t uncommon for people to let their dogs roam unleashed in Lebanon. So, before you jump to save a homeless dog, make sure that it is, in fact, homeless. If you find their guardian, it is important to tell them that they should keep their dog on a leash at all times (or in a carrier, depending on the size). Being leashed is much safer for dogs – for one, they could be stolen or thought to be homeless and taken. They could be hit by a a car, they could run away from their owner and get lost, and they risk eating poison that they otherwise would have avoided if they were on a leash.
2. Inform the local municipality
Under the Animal Protection and Welfare Law, municipalities have the most responsibility for taking care of homeless dogs. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen over the last few weeks, this isn’t always handled well. But, it is important that you always inform them to help increase their receptiveness, positivity, and pro-activeness towards the cause of animal welfare. The more we engage with municipalities in regards to animals, the more they will be inclined to help, and the more they will be deterred from committing atrocities like the recent poisoning of dogs we witnessed in Tripoli.
3. Provide immediate help if you can confirm that a dog is homeless or sick
Find information about 24 hour emergency services by following this link.
4. Contact an animal welfare organization like Animals Lebanon
Animals Lebanon can offer free vet checks, help search for a foster and adopters, assist with the dog’s capture and transport, and more. The first step is to report the homeless dog to Animals Lebanon by using this link.
Keep in mind that there are several other animal welfare organizations around the country that can provide help, especially depending on your location and their focus on work. Search for the organizations nearest to you when and where you find the dog in need of help. There are several new organizations around the country from Beirut to Tripoli, and dog shelters in a lot of areas, too – like Nahr Ibrahim, Monte Verde, and Naqoura.
It is important to note that there are tens of thousands of homeless dogs currently roaming the streets around Lebanon. Dog shelters are a temporary solution, but even so, they are, by no means an ultimate one. There are not enough shelters, and there is not enough shelter space to compensate for all of the dogs in need. Even if there were, shelters are no place for dogs to be. The most effective way to reduce the increasing number of homeless dogs in Lebanon is to spread awareness and education about them – to encourage positive legislation that would require dogs to be microchipped, pet shops to be regulated, and breeders and pet owners to be educated and monitored. Around the world, these are the most effective methods of regulating and taking care of stray animals – and in so doing making sure that less of them end up homeless, aimlessly wandering the country’s streets.
