I Found an Animal: What to Do, Step by Step

If you've just found an animal and don't know what to do, take a breath: you've already done the most important thing by stopping to help. Whether you've found a dog wandering near a road or a frightened cat in your garden, the steps are simple and they all point to one goal: getting them back to whoever is looking for them. Here's what to do, in the right order, without rushing and without forcing anything.

Keep the animal you found safe, without forcing it

A lost animal is often scared and can react unpredictably, even if it's usually gentle. When you've found an animal, the first rule is to approach calmly, without chasing it or backing it into a corner.

• Speak in a low, steady voice and move slowly.
• If it's a dog, try offering water and, if you have one, a lead or a piece of rope to keep it away from traffic.
• If it's a cat, don't force contact: let it come to you. An open carrier or box helps.
• Don't handle an animal that looks aggressive or is in real panic: wait, or ask for help.

If it's injured or in danger, get help right away

The animal's health comes first. If you find it hurt, hit by a car or clearly in distress, don't wait.

• Contact a vet or your local public veterinary service as soon as possible.
• For an animal in serious danger, in Italy you can call 112 or the 1515 line of the Carabinieri Forestali (environmental police).
• Only move the animal if you have to, and do it gently so you don't make any injuries worse.

Get the microchip scanned: the fastest route to the owner

Nearly all dogs (and many cats) have a microchip, a tiny device under the skin linked to a national pet registry that traces back to the owner. It's the most direct way to solve the whole thing in a few hours.

• Take the animal (or have it scanned) at a vet, the local public veterinary service or a municipal shelter: reading the microchip is free and painless.
• The chip number lets the registry identify the registered owner and get in touch.
• No microchip? Don't lose heart: the next steps cover other ways to reunite them.

Notify the local shelter: in Italy it's the law

In Italy, whoever finds a stray animal is legally required to report it. This isn't pointless paperwork: it's often exactly how the owner gets their animal back.

• Report the find to the municipal shelter or the local public veterinary service.
• An official report starts the proper checks and keeps you on the right side of the rules.
• Don't keep the animal secretly: beyond being against the rules, it cuts off the owner's chance to find it through official channels.

Post a "found" report on Orma, with a photo and location

Official reports matter, but it's often the local grapevine that makes the difference. On Orma you can post a found or simply sighted animal in a few taps, so whoever lost it recognises it at a glance from the photo and the place.

• Add a clear photo and mark where you saw it: it takes just a few seconds.
• People who are near you get an automatic alert when you post, so the news reaches the right area straight away.
• If the owner had already reported the animal with its microchip number, Orma can automatically match the lost and found reports.
• You get in touch through the secure in-app chat: your contact details stay protected, and the animal's location on the map is deliberately blurred by about 150 metres to keep everyone safe.

In the meantime: what to do (and what not to)

While you wait for someone to come forward, there's still plenty you can do, always with common sense.

• Ask around the neighbourhood and in nearby shops: the owner often lives just steps away.
• Keep the animal warm, with water and a little suitable food, without overdoing it.
• Don't promise or accept money: stay focused on getting it home.
• If you can't keep it, the municipal shelter and public veterinary service are the right places to turn to.

Finding the way home is almost always a matter of a few hours and a few people passing the word along. You've done the hardest part by stopping to help: follow these steps calmly and you'll give that animal the best chance of getting back to its family. Thank you for being there.