Over this past 4^th Of July weekend, my family and I took a trip to south Alabama to visit relatives. While there I was surprised to find the number of stray animals that were constantly coming around the house. As the parent of a small child, my first instinct is to always send stray pets running the other way, but honestly some of them were just too cute to ignore. This is why today I want to go over a few simple tips on how to approach a lost animal just in case you too can’t resist yourself.

First of all it’s extremely important to remember that you don’t know the animal. Stray pets could have been former pets that were abused and escaped, lost animals looking to get back home, or have managed to live a life by taking handouts and learning to catch their own food. Regardless of how it got to where it is, there’s a very good chance the animal will be all nerves, so be careful.

• Don’t rush to meet the animal. Take your time avoid sudden movements and lower your voice. 
• Plan your escape. Try not to crouch down or get so low to the ground that you can’t jump up easily. If the animal gets spooked you need to be prepared to protect yourself 
• Watch the animal’s body language and avoid too much eye contact. If the animal wants to be petted it will let you know.
• Stretch out your hand palm down and let the animal give you a good sniff. If you do make it past the sniff test be wise and only lightly rub the ears and face.

It’s also a good idea to see if you can find out the animal’s identity by checking its collar. If the animal starts to get aggressive in any way do yourself a favor and let the professionals handle it. When you feel things are getting out of control, do the smart thing and call your local pet adoption.