Dogs Still Unclaimed By Owners At County Shelters

SAN DIEGO–Two dozen dogs remain unclaimed two weeks after Fourth of July fireworks, County Animal Services said Tuesday.

The dogs are currently housed at three county animal shelters. The animals were picked up and transported to the shelters because they ran off in a panic at the first sound of the fireworks’ booms, according to Animal Services.

From 9 p.m. on July 4 through July 8, Animal Control officers and residents brought in 191 stray or lost dogs to the shelters. Not all of the incoming pets can be blamed on fireworks, but July 5 is typically the busiest day of the year for shelters and they usually see a heavy influx of lost dogs in the following days.

At the County’s Gaines facility in San Diego, 91 dogs came in during the four day time period, the one in Carlsbad took in 21 and the shelter in Bonita saw 79. Only 94 dogs of the 191 have been claimed.

The shelters are required to hold dogs without identification for three business days, not counting the day the dog was rescued or the day the shelters were closed. After that time, the dogs are put up for adoption. Dozens have already gone to new homes.

The owners of animals with ID were notified by phone and by mail. The shelters are only required to hold those dogs for five business days. For some owners, that time period ended last week and the dogs started going up for adoption.

“We still have many dogs that weren’t picked up by their owners,” said County Animal Services Director Daniel DeSousa. “We’d rather reunite these dogs with their proper owners, but if they’re not claimed within the required time period, then we must change our focus and get these animals into new homes.”

If someone is missing their dog, they can check County Animal Services lost and found website, the adoption page or visit the three shelters to see if their runaway pets are there. Owners should check the surrounding shelters too because dogs can run from one jurisdiction to another. Another option is to check the free facial recognition app, Finding Rover, to see if their dogs have been found.