Two weeks after Fourth of July fireworks, nearly two dozen dogs are still waiting for their owners to claim them from three animal shelters in San Diego County.
Many of the dogs may have ended up there because they ran off at the sound of the fireworks’ booms and whistles.
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.
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,” stated DeSousa.
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If someone is missing their dog, they can check County Animal Services website, the adoption page or visit the three shelters to see if their runaway pets are there.
Owners should check the surrounding shelters as well because dogs can run from one jurisdiction to another.
