Hello, my name is Amy and I am currently studying animal care. I am particularly interested in dogs and would like to work with them in the future. I thought it would be helpful to make a guide for more people to understand what to do upon encountering a stray dog on the street, or even upon encountering a naturally wild dog species while out on a walk.
Strays of domesticated breeds:
· Be aware of the dog’s demeanor: strays are likely to be aggressive or fearful towards humans due to lack of trust. Trying to approach the dog may result in aggressive behavior (barking, baring teeth and growling), or fearful behavior (barking while backing away with tail tucked between legs). Be especially wary of aggressive behavior as you don’t want to get bitten. If the dog doesn’t exhibit any of these behaviors and you are able to secure it and get it somewhere safe where it can’t run off, such as into your car, then it is wise to do so before following the next steps.
Check for identification: if the dog is wearing a collar or anything with an owner’s address or phone number on it, it can easily be returned to the owner, so the best course of action here is to contact the owner immediately.
· If the dog has no identification: contact the police or RSPCA and they can come and collect it. This is important to do before trying to take the dog home with you as the dog could still be dangerous so it is better to let trained professionals take care of it, or it could still belong to someone else even if no identification is visible on it. Also, if the dog is injured it is much better to call someone else who will be more equipped and trained to handle it.
Naturally wild dog breeds eg. coyotes:
Repellent: an easy way to repel wild animals and avoid confrontation is to make noise and if you’re walking your own dog, put a bell on its collar. This will scare off most wild animals you may be likely to encounter. Carrying something such as a stick, knife, pepper spray or anything that can be used as a weapon is also more likely to keep wild animals away from you.
· If the animal approaches you: your best option at first is to stay calm, stand your ground and not try to run away, wild dogs and other wild animals such as bears and cougars are fast and difficult to outrun, and attempting to run from them can make them think of you as prey. Being aggressive and trying to intimidate the animal in this situation will make it more likely to attack, and you want to avoid confrontation entirely if possible. Try to ignore the animal and not react too much to it, there is a good chance it will get bored and move away. If it doesn’t move away on its own terms after you have waited for a while, then back away slowly, and start walking at a normal pace again once you are a safe distance away. Get yourself to a safe area- this could be higher ground or just somewhere that is a safe enough distance away from the animal so that it is not likely to bother you again.
· If the animal still won't leave you alone after the above steps: use whatever means you have available to try to make it leave you alone. Throwing a stick or other item works well as a means of distraction. Failing this, and if faced with an aggressive animal (baring teeth, growling), pepper spray is a very effective repellent. If you are confronted by a pack of dogs, targeting the leader is a very effective way to get the rest of the pack to leave you alone. It is important to note that violence is a last resort and should only be used when an animal attacks you first, as a means of self-defense. In these cases, target the animal’s sensitive areas such as the head and eyes, and protect your sensitive areas at all costs- getting bitten on the arm is much better than getting bitten in the neck by a wild dog. As soon as you get to safety, contact a doctor immediately if you have been bitten- wild dogs can carry harmful diseases such as rabies. Foaming at the mouth is a clear sign of rabies, but the animals can carry this disease even without showing obvious symptoms so it is always important to be aware of this.
· If you find an animal that appears to be injured: approach with extreme caution and make sure to maintain a safe distance from the animal. Assessing the situation from a distance is always safer for both the human and the animal. Do not try to touch the animal as not only is there a risk of them getting scared and becoming aggressive, many wild animals can also carry dangerous diseases such as rabies that can be passed on to humans. Call a trained specialist (vet, animal control etc.) who will come to take care of the animal and knows how to handle it safely.
Thank you for taking the time to read. These tips are a combination of internet research and my own knowledge, and I hope they have helped you to be more confident on how to handle the situation in the safest way possible if you ever come across a stray or wild dog.
-Amy Tanner (digital marketing and animal care support)
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