A dog that followed me home hasnt left. can i keep it?

[Helen Rempel]

"My cousin and I both put several pictures of her on Facebook, Instagram, etc. to see if anyone recognizes her, but no answers yet."

The owner is not going to be looking on your Facebook page. You need to contact the nearest Humane Society and Animal Control. They can also check for a microchip. It would be a good idea to also put up flyers at local vets and pet stores, plus free online ads with Craigslist and Kijiji.

"If a lot of time passes(I read that about a month is a good amount of time) can I keep her if she sticks around? I know her owners could come back and get her at any time, but I don't see why I couldn't keep her if no one claimed her."

The only way you can keep her is if you notify the Humane Society and Animal Control. Those are the only 2 agencies that can give you *legal* ownership if the owner doesn't contact them within a certain time frame (ask what that is when you phone them).

This dog has a collar. If someone just dumped her, it's highly unlikely they'd leave a collar on. She has an owner.

How would you feel if you lost a dog--or one of your horses--and the person who found it simply kept the animal? Wouldn't you expect them to do more?