If there is no ID tag, owners can also be tracked by license tags or rabies tags. Call the phone number on the tag.
Check belly/inner thigh or ear for a tatoo. (Be careful if the dog seems uncomfortable being handled.)
Take the dog to a vet or shelter to scan for a microchip.
Contact local police to file a found dog report.
Place ads in newspapers and put up fliers, but be sure to ask for proof of ownership before handing the dog over to someone.
Check newspaper ads and contact shelters' lost and found departments to see if the dog was reported missing.
If you can't keep the dog while you look for the owner, take him to the local shelter, since this is likely where the owner will go to look for him. Keep in mind that if you hand the dog over to a shelter, you may not have the option of taking him back if his owner isn't found. Stray dogs are required to be held for only 48 hrs. There is no mandatory holding period for cats.
Try not to transport the dog to a shelter that is far away from where he was found, since his owner may not think to look for him there.
