Lost Dog's Owner Sought

Fairfax County is looking for the owner of a lost Shiba Inu that was found wounded and wandering through traffic in Oxon Hill, Maryland. The dog, found on Nov. 17 without a collar or tags, is believed to have been hit by a car, and is in stable condition at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter.   

A woman found the dog and kept it in her car for five hours while she worked ather office in Alexandria, before contacting the Fairfax County Animal Control. It was then taken to the Hayfield Animal Hospital. 

“Many people believe they are helping a lost pet by taking it to any animal shelter,” says Fairfax County Animal Shelter Director Dr. Karen Diviney. “However, it is imperative that citizens who find a lost animal take it to the animal control facility where the animal was found. It could make the difference between the pet’s owner being found or not.”

Fairfax County Shelter staff called the Prince George’s Animal Shelter, local vet clinics in and around Oxen Hill, but have not found an owner.

"The Fairfax County Animal Shelter has received stray pets from as far away as Utah when citizens have found them and driven them to this area," according to a County news release. 

If you find a lost dog, the County Animal Shelter asks you to:           

• Note the exact location where the animal is found.
• Call the local police and ask them to send the local animal control to pick up the animal. 
• If a person travelling is not aware of the local police number or local animal control, dial 911 and explain that you have found a lost animal, tell them your location and ask for assistance from the local animal control. 
• If traveling on a major highway, it helps to have a mile marker or if on a smaller route, provide a landmark to aid police or animal control in locating you.
• Leave all identification on the dog (collars, tags, dog licenses, etc.). This is how local animal shelters reunite pets with their owners.If an animal is injured, call animal control locally or drive the animal to a local veterinary clinic. Police dispatch or 411 may be able to assist you in finding a local vet clinic if you are not familiar with the area.
• Do not drive the animal out of the jurisdiction in which you found it. This decreases the chances of the pet being reunited with its owner.