A local man wants to remind everyone to "Think Lost, Not Stray" if you find a loose dog

Diamond, stolen 4/12/2008; photo courtesy Brad Kirby

A new Dallas ordinance requires anyone who finds a stray dog to follow specific steps to try and find its owner or face stiff fines. But the new law has some serious problems, including questions about whether it is enforceable, what unintended consequences may result from its passage, and how much the new law will cost taxpayers. The City of Dallas Animal Shelter Commission has recommended to the City Council that the ordinance be repealed. This ordinance may eventually be deemed unnecessary, but the debate surrounding it has brought to light one man's unwavering crusade to change people's attitudes toward loose pets.

Mr. Kirby has never stopped looking for his dogs, and along the way he's learned a lot about people's attitudes toward loose animals. Sadly, a number of the people he talked to told him they automatically assume that any stray dog or cat that crossed their paths must have been dumped and is no longer wanted. Most legitimate rescuers don't need or want another homeless animal to deal with and will go to great lengths to find the animal's owner. But it seems people who aren't involved in rescue often see a dog or cat that needs help, assume the pet is unwanted and was dumped, and without a second thought, they set out to find it a new home.

Still others Mr. Kirby talked with assume loose animals are free for the taking and if they like the dog or cat keep it, they just keep it. In some areas loose dogs and cats are so prevalent that people begin to think of them as disposable. They place little or no value on pets and don't understand or comprehend the pain the loss of a pet can cause. If they find a dog or cat they simply take it home and keep it without every considering that someone may be desperately searching for it.

Mr. Kirby thinks both those attitudes need to change and the folks at Missing Pet Partnership agree. Kat Albrecht, founder of the non-profit group Missing Pet Partnership, first noticed the "rescue" phenomenon when doing research on lost pets. She has since developed a campaign called "Think Lost, Not Stray" to help combat the problem. According to Ms. Albrecht, "People (usually private citizens) who have heard messages that millions of "homeless" animals are "abandoned" and "dumped" every year tend to leap to the conclusion that the dog they find wandering along a road was "dumped" and is "homeless" rather than considering that it could be a beloved lost pet." "Think Lost, Not Stray" was developed to combat those attitudes.

Then there are the people who decide to just keep a pet because they like it. Pets are considered property under the law. If you find a pet and decide to keep it rather than try to find its owner, you could possibly be charged with theft, just as if you'd stolen a car, a wallet, or a bike. The Texas Penal Code defines theft as taking someone else’s property without consent. Theft of property valued at over $ 1,500 is a state jail felony punishable by fines of up to $ 10,000 and 180 days to 2 years in jail. That should be a huge deterrent to pet theft, but too many people don't understand pets are property.

Mr. Kirby has dedicated a website to help spread the word that not all loose pets are unwanted pets, and to assist people who have lost or found an animal. "Lost Dogs of Dallas" helps bring Metroplex dogs back together with their owners by offering free listings for any lost or found dog and by providing helpful tips to help pet owners look for lost pets. Mr. Kirby is also working toward strengthening Texas state laws related to stolen dogs and increasing the penalties for pet theft.

Certainly, there are plenty of lost, abandoned, dumped, and abused animals in our area. No one can debate that. But at Dallas Animal Services more than 50 distraught pet owners show up every day trying to find their lost pets. People who care about their pets. They want everyone to hear Mr. Kirby's message and do the right thing - take the time to try to find a loose pet's owner by calling the number on the tags or taking the animal to the vet to have it scanned for a microchip. You'd want someone to do the same if it were your pet.

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