Found stray dog and the owner is MIA.

Question

I reside in Queens County, NYC and a stray dog arrived on my porch 2 days ago. I took it to the vet and found the owner via microchip, attempted to contact them at two phone numbers (both disconnected) and emailed the email address of record as well as posted it on my social media and the local social media page.

What do I have to do to formally adopt the dog if no owner shows up? And how long do I have to wait? Is there a formal process?

Any helpful advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.

Answer

New York law requires people who find a dog to notify local law enforcement authorities. They often keep records of lost animals. Local shelters sometimes maintain lost and found records too although I see online that New York City’s Animal Care Centers (ACC) suggests that people also contact Petco lovelost to report a found animal. See: I Found A Pet | Petco Love Lost. Hanging fliers near where an animal is found can also help to locate an animal’s “parent.”

New York law states: “The unauthorized possession of a dog or dogs, by any person not the true owner, for a period exceeding ten days, without notifying either the owner, the local police authorities, or the superintendent of the state police at Albany, New York, of such possession, shall be presumptive evidence of larceny.”

There is not a formal process for people to adopt a dog who they found and have in their possession. After making efforts to locate the dog’s “parent,” taking the dog to a veterinarian to establish a client relationship and changing the microchip registration (if possible) should be done. While microchip companies do not usually change a registration without the registrant’s consent, it is possible that they will when efforts to contact the registrant prove unavailing.