-Most rescues are full right now, because of the poor economy and how many people are becoming backyard breeders to make a quick buck. The number of unwanted pets is the highest it's ever been. People aren't buying dogs, but that doesn't stop the backyard breeders from continuing to breed unwanted litters. Many times, they end up surrendering the puppies to shelters after not being able to sell them. This is especially true for pit bulls, which are the most common type of stray dogs in this area and most parts of the US. If you find a rescue to take the dog, make sure you research them: http://www.animalrescueassistance.org/blog/2012/02/25/A-Plea-To-The-Rescue-Community.aspx

-If you can't foster the pet you find, more than likely, you will have to take the pet to animal control. No one should ever feel guilty about taking a stray to the pound. The most important thing is to get them off the streets where they could end up getting hit by a car, attacked by another stray, or getting picked up by a backyard breeder. We can't tell you how many backyard pit bull breeders we encounter though community outreach that tell us they picked up the dogs they are breeding as strays. You can read one of those stories here: http://www.animalrescueassistance.org/blog/2012/03/13/Yes-a-dog-can-get-pregnant-at-6-months-old.aspx

-If you can foster the pet until a home can be found, it's so important that you spay/neuter the pet BEFORE rehoming. There are so many resources in Atlanta that there is really no excuse for not doing this. Spay/neuter contracts do NOT work. We can provide a crate and dog food and help with spay/neuter. Charge an adoption fee of at least $40, so the pet won't be collected for animal testing. Anyone is welcome to refer potential adopters to our adoption applications and we can forward anyone a generic adoption contract to use.

-If you find a pet that is unfixed and then find the owners, PLEASE PLEASE let them pick their pet up at animal control so they can pay a fine and both Dekalb and Fulton will go above and beyond to try and get them to fix their pet when they reclaim it. You can also contact

and we can arrange to have the fees waived if they allow us to fix the pet. It's obvious, judging by all the found stray pets looking for homes that we have a severe issue in the area with unwanted pets. People that do not properly contain their unfixed pets are largely to blame, so just giving them back their pet is not helping the situation. They need to understand there are consequences which are why we stress turning unfixed pets into animal control if you find the owner. The more unfixed pets we have roaming the streets, the worse the cycle gets of our shelters overflowing with unwanted pets.

-The best ways to search for an owner are by first checking the collar for tags and some collars have phone numbers embroidered on them. Then get the stray scanned for a microchip, most vets will do this for free. Check local pet stores and vets for lost pet fliers. Put up found dog posters, but don't put too many details. The fliers should be placed in the area you found the dog and at animal control; I would put them in any shelter within 20 miles of where you found the pet. You can also file a found pet report with animal controls. According to the animal control rules, any owners that come forth should provide proof via vet bills and a photo. Unfortunately there are scammers that collect found dogs, so don't assume someone is the owner just because they say they are the owner.