My wife and i were driving down a county road a German Shepherd was laying along side the road in a ditch no houses near by we stopped he came up. had a collar no tags we took to the houses in the area no one even knew of anyone with a gs/ he's been taken care of. nails short, coat in great shape very nice looking dog . i'm taking him to the vet in the morning to check if he's been chipped. checked paper and craigslist . if i take him to the shelter they will keep him i'm afraid someone will say he's theirs and use him for fighting ( real problem in this area)i want to put a ad in paper. probably get they same people. it's hard to believe someone dumped him but you never know what's wrong with people ? animals depend on us. any idea's on what to do? i want what best for the dog thanks in advance

Is it a male? Someone sent me a link for a lost female from the Carpentersville, Il area. Are their any GS rescue groups near you that could place in foster home vs. shelter?

male guessing 2 yrs i will check on a rescue

sent you a pm

You might post a found dog notice with a picture at the Vet offices in your area. Since he was well taken care of, he might have been seen by someone who uses their services.

I found my GSD as a dumped stray in S. Illinois area. I knocked on houses near the area she was dumped, called the shelter to report a found dog, and posted on craigslist. Since she was obviously starving at the time I picked her up, I wasn't so sure anyone was looking for her. She also showed some evidence of possible abuse- although that could've just been due to wandering the woods, scared, for weeks.

I found the GSD rescues I contacted unhelpful. According to them, once I picked up the dog, stray or not, it was my responsibility and no longer considered a 'rescue' case.

If anyone was looking for a dog, they would call the shelters. Most shelters have a 'found dog' form you can fill out for anyone calling to look for their dog. WITHOUT leaving the dog with them. Also, the craigslist post can be vague 'found shepherd,...such and such vicinity please call to confirm ID'. The caller would have to confirm gender, approx. size, collar color, and any unique markings.

In my situation, I knew the dog had a forever home with me pretty much immediately. Also, she did not appear well-taken care of and was in an area known as a dumping ground for unwanted pets.

This dog sounds like someone's lost pet. Posting at vet clinics, shelter found lists, and craigslist is a good idea. Also, the local newspapers will usually post a found dog ad for free.

Keep trying, sometimes dogs end up in the strangest places through theft, travel, etc. I'd give it at least a couple weeks before you adopt him out to someone or hand him over the a rescue.

And please don't take him to the pound. Those shelters are kill shelters and a death sentence. I couldn't imagine leaving the GSD I found there, even for an instant. Way too nice a dog, and already way too attached.

Just one thing to add. Don't just fill out found dog forms at the local shelter/s. Fill them out for shelters for several miles around.

Thanks for helping this guy. You could also post a notice at pet stores, groomers, training facilities, etc.

I wouldnt put a picture, if someone lost the dog and wants it back, and youve specified its a shepherd then they should be able to identify it, and wont be able to examine the picture for identifyers

Ditto on the vets in a large area. I've had vet staff actually call the clients they have with dogs which match my description to see if they are missing. If a dog ends up here that looks well cared for I pretty much call all the vets within a 40 mile radius and will fax them a description and ask them to hang it up.