Tips for Roadside Rescuers

Veterinarian offers advice for safety and support.

This article was originally published in the June 2025 OVERview digital magazine. Also check out our article on roadside rescues who became agility stars.

Heather Venkat has rescued a few dogs on the road. The veterinarian at the Arizona Humane Society Marge Wright Vet Clinic keeps a slip lead in her car to easily get the dogs into her car.

“I usually talk to them in a sweet voice and crouch down so I’m not threatening, and they come up to me. If they are scared and move away, I’ll try to use food or treats to lure them closer, but I don’t push it as I don’t want them to get defensive or run out into the road into harm’s way,” she shared.

Heather provided a few more tips for roadside rescues if you find a dog wandering:

• Take the dog to get checked out by a veterinarian to ensure there are no wounds, ticks/fleas, dehydration, paw pad burns, etc. A vet can also check the dog for a microchip to see if it has an owner.
• Keep the dog separated from your other pets for at least seven days so that it doesn’t spread disease like
• parvovirus, which can shed even after a dog recovers from illness.
• Check lost dog websites, post to found dog pages and contact your county animal control.
• If you can’t find the owner and end up keeping the dog, be patient. It is possible the dog hasn’t had any potty training or manners training, might have never lived inside or been around certain people like children. Give the dog time and space to adjust and learn.