# found a lost dog -do I notify owners **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195 "2007-01-08T19:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/1 "2007-01-08T19:54:24Z")
I have seen signs for a lost German Shepherd mix around for the last couple weeks. I found it in the park. It is not only dead but ripped apart. The spine and chest cavity are separated. Ther leg with paw attached is almost untouched. Do I call them and what do I tell them? Do I guess they would be better off not knowing? I am torn right now. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/2 "2007-01-08T19:57:26Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] I have seen signs for a lost German Shepherd mix around for the last couple weeks. I found it in the park. It is not only dead but ripped apart. The spine and chest cavity are separated. Ther leg with paw attached is almost untouched. Do I call them and what do I tell them? Do I guess they would be better off not knowing? I am torn right now. [/QUOTE] I’d want to know, good or bad. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/3 "2007-01-08T19:59:54Z")
Definitely call them. The worst thing for them is not knowing what happened. You can provide them with some closure. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/4 "2007-01-08T20:00:05Z")
Point: If you call, you could get **blamed**. You have a legitimate self-intrest here, & a right to keep mum. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/5 "2007-01-08T20:00:15Z")
Absolutely tell them, I would say. Why is this in GQ - this is as IMHO as it gets! Please tell them. I would want to know as **Bobbio** says. Poor doggie. ☹ I wonder what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/6 "2007-01-08T20:01:01Z")
There’s not going to be a factual answer to this–only opinions. But, if it were me, I think I’d want to know if only for the sake of closure. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/7 "2007-01-08T20:01:38Z")
You let them know you don’t have to provide gory details. Just a message letting them know the dog is no longer alive so they can stop their search. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/8 "2007-01-08T20:02:59Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Point: If you call, you could get **blamed**. You have a legitimate self-intrest here, & a right to keep mum. [/QUOTE] What the hell is wrong with you? Seriously. Your attitude about this is ten kinds of fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Smooth\_Jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Smooth\_Jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smooth_Jack)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/9 "2007-01-08T20:04:05Z")
Tell them right away. The longer you hold off, the more it makes you look suspicious. Also, tell them where to find the body, on the off chance it’s not their dog. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/10 "2007-01-08T20:08:55Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] What the hell is wrong with you? Seriously. Your attitude about this is ten kinds of fucked up. [/QUOTE] Errr…not really. It’s not unknown for someone to report a crime and then have TPTB immediately respond with, “How did you _know_ the body was there?” and just generally assume that you, the Concerned Citizen, must have had something to do with it, TPTB being the suspicious and cynical folks they are. If the OP is worried about being blamed for it (and IMO it’s not a _completely_ irrational fear), he could do so anonymously. Just a phone call from a public phone would do the trick. I agree that the owners ought to be told, but there’s no reason they have to know who it is on the other end of the phone. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/11 "2007-01-08T20:18:11Z")
I wouldn’t worry about anyone thinking you were involved, especially since the dog was torn apart, and not shot dead in your chicken house. So call. And be careful in that park. What could have happened to the dog? I suppose it could have died of natural causes and then been chewed on by something, but what if something killed it? Kinda scary. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/12 "2007-01-08T20:51:29Z")
Definitely call them, and let them know that you found the dog, and it is dead. Leave out the gory details. I would say that I came across it while out walking, and recognised it as being the missing dog because I’d seen the posters. I’d tell them how sorry I was to give them this bad news, but that I thought they’d probably want to know. I would want to know. How did you come across it? ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/13 "2007-01-08T20:52:47Z")
Definitely call them, and let them know that you found the dog, and it is dead. Leave out the gory details. I would say that I came across it while out walking, and recognised it as being the missing dog because I’d seen the posters. I’d tell them how sorry I was to give them this bad news, but that I thought they’d probably want to know. I would want to know. For my own curiosity–how did you come across it? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/14 "2007-01-08T21:06:49Z")
I dunno. I lost a cat and I always hope that his collar came off and some kind (innocent) person took him in and he’s sitting on someone’s lap right now. Healthy and happy. I would not want to know that he actually got flattened by a truck or killed by a raccoon. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/15 "2007-01-08T21:11:38Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Errr…not really. It’s not unknown for someone to report a crime and then have TPTB immediately respond with, “How did you _know_ the body was there?” and just generally assume that you, the Concerned Citizen, must have had something to do with it, TPTB being the suspicious and cynical folks they are. [/QUOTE] Oh for goodness sake, so you should not do a merciful kindness because of some very unlikely circumstance? If you’re super paranoid, you can always make the call anonymously. Just tell them that you saw their pet and it was dead. Only give more details if you are asked. I had a terrible experience one time where I found the remains of a cat that had been killed by coyotes. All that was left was a head, a tail and a pelt. Going over to tell my neighbor, who I hadn’t even met yet, was a tough thing to do but they appreciated it very much. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/16 "2007-01-08T21:13:04Z")
[QUOTE=hajario] If you’re super paranoid, you can always make the call anonymously. [/QUOTE] On second read, I see that this is exactly what you proposed. I still think that it’s being overly paranoid though. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/17 "2007-01-08T21:19:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Point: If you call, you could get **blamed**. You have a legitimate self-intrest here, & a right to keep mum. [/QUOTE] This is an example of what is wrong with the world these days. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/18 "2007-01-08T21:25:52Z")
I walk my beagles in the park every day. We came across it in a field about 25 feet from a path . t is not heavily traveled but beagles want to follow their noses. There are coyotes in the park but I would be surprised if they would take on a big dog. The last coyote I saw was a hybred. Much bulkier than a normal one but still coyote looking. This is in a Michigan park which is a wooded slice about 12 miles long through the suburbs. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/19 "2007-01-08T21:26:16Z")
I wouldn’t make the call anonymously. If I had nothing to do with the dog’s death, why wouldn’t I give my name? An alternative would be to notify the authorities and let them tell the owners. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195/20 "2007-01-08T21:41:07Z")
Positively, let them know. I lost a dog once. I spent just about every free moment searching for two weeks. I posted flyers, I visited pounds, and I walked the neighborhood. Coincidentally, it was in January, and it was cold and snowy. Visiting pounds is no fun either. If the owners of the dog that you found are anything like me, they need to know, if only so they can stop searching. (I stopped at 2 weeks only because I got him back then.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-lost-dog-do-i-notify-owners/387195.md?page=2)