We are a licensed shelter, but we are NOT an animal control facility.

The first thing you should do if you find a stray beagle is to take it to a veterinarian's office and have it scanned for a microchip. This does not cost any money and frequently reunites pets with owners.

If there is no microchip and you cannot hold onto the dog for at least a month, you must take the animal to your local animal control facility.

If you do take the dog to animal control, let them know you will be contacting Atlanta Beagle Rescue about the dog and get an intake ID and a phone number. Email that to us along with a description of the dog and the date you turned it in.

Most counties hold strays for at least 3 business days. A lot of them hold for a minimum of 5 days, and many try and hold onto adoptable dogs for as long as they can.

Animal control is not the enemy. There are far worse fates than being euthanized in a shelter.

If you can hold onto the dog for at least a month, follow these steps to be in compliance with the law:

• Notify your local animal control that you found a stray but that you can hold onto it. Give the date found, location found, and general description of the dog. When people lose their dogs they hopefully will call animal control to see if their dog is there.
• Run a "found dog" in the local paper. These ads are usually free.
• Put up flyers in the area and call local vet offices.

If an owner shows up, ask if there is current proof of a rabies vaccine, and if not, do your best to have the owner pay for one through a convenient vet or vaccine clinic.

If no owner shows up within 5 days we are pretty safe to start the process of rehoming the dog.