Good morning!
I find myself suddenly in desperate need of some advice.
Earlier today while at work we had a lost husky wander into the store. While she wasn't obviously abandoned - her fur wasn't badly matted (just around her tail), and despite being skinny is very people friendly - no one came forward to claim her in four hours. Given that Animal Control was already closed when she wandered in, I volunteered to take her home, feed her and do what I can for her.

I desperately need some advice since all my dog experience is with Labs and Aussie Shepherds.

Zia (that's what we're calling her) is on the thin side, but just nudged at the dry kibble, though she did drink a fair amount down. As far as I can tell she's still young, maybe even a puppy. She's been incredibly well behaved, and is actually cuddling with me while I type. Is there any advice anyone can give me while I give Zia a home until we locate her owners, or until I adopt her outright?

First off, if you're even considering adopting her, you've a) come to the right place and b) need to do your research. Huskies are not the breeds for everyone! Although if you have experience with Aussies and Labs, you have a somewhat vague idea of what a husky's energy level is like. They can keep up with those two rather well and then some!

Huskies are NOT loyal, obedient dogs like Labs and Aussies are though. They should never be let off leash in an open, non-fenced in area. They are intelligent, curious, and prone to wanderlust. They were also bred to RUN. Given the chance, a husky would likely rather run for miles checking out everything in sight than listen to you while you yell "Come!" By the time they are done exploring, they usually don't know how to get home or have been hit by a car. Sad, but honest, truth.

Those are the two biggies. Super high energy (they need a job/exercise or they will get bored and destroy things).

As far as food, huskies are notoriously picky eaters. I'm not sure what kibble you were feeding her, but many don't like grains/can't stomach them and need a protein-based kibble (versus a grain based one). However, for a stray and a rescue, she's not doing anything alarming. Huskies will generally regulate their own food intake. They will only eat the amount they need to survive. Thus, she could just not be hungry or she could just be afraid to trust you. Try feeding her by hand. Otherwise, scrambled eggs is usually a hit and you can feed that for a few days while you figure out her kibble issues.

Check out local shelters, rescues, and vet offices. I'd call the ones in your town and the bordering towns. Huskies have sometimes been found 30-50 miles away from their homes. Good luck! And thank you for rescuing her!

Oh- one more thing... huskies are normally very people friendly. The fact that she walked up to you all to say hi doesn't necessarily mean she came from an owner. They also groom themselves unlike Aussies and Labs. They are a lot like cats in many ways. Thus... it's possible that she hasn't had an owner for a very long time.

You can also take her to any vet office and have her scanned for a microchip. Like Tori said, they are known to go far distances in short periods of time. You can also contact your local Sibe rescue to see if they have any reports of missing huskies. I would try to avoid animal control if at all possible.


This is how I got my Frankie. He just showed up into our lives. We did find a family member of the previous owner who wasn't looking for him and didn't want him back. Needless to say, it has been quite a journey. Being a first time dog owner and husky owner has had quite few ups and downs. But with support from my local rescue and this forum, he has become a huge part of my life. He has truly been a blessing and I couldn't imagine life without him.

Good luck. Please keep us posted

Welcome!

As a caveat : If you put up signs or a craigslist ad, don't add a picture - just write FOUND HUSKY in large letters. Have them show proof of ownership such as pictures or confirmation from their vet. People tend to think huskies are expensive and try to take found dogs.

1) Take her to a vet to check for a microchip
2) Call surrounding vets and shelters/animal controls and report a found dog and scan for missing husky posts on CL
3) If you want to keep her, ask the shelter how long you must have her until she legally becomes yours (where I live it's one month...we just found a loose husky about a month ago and he's going to his new home today!)
4) If you don't want to keep her, either take her to the shelter, call siberian husky rescue, or keep her until the period of time to legally own her is up and find her a new home. If you do find her a new home make sure you get her spayed first (have the cost be in the rehoming fee) and make sure the owners will be good dog owners and it's a big plus if they have previous experience with huskies. My mom does dog rescue, so if you need a general application for the new owners to fill out to make sure they seem good, I can send it to you.

Let us know what you decide to do!

Thank you so much for all the help. We're sharing breakfast this morning - she got half my moose burger, and after I finish cleaning up we're headed out to the Animal Control Center. If she has an owner I do want to reunite them, because I know what it's like to loose a beloved pet. But if no one comes forward, she's going to remain a part of my family. I hadn't thought of CL! I was just going to put up Found posters across the neighborhood.

Thank you for taking care of her. I hope you can reunite her with her owner.

I have some great news. Thanks to the microchip, the Shelter located her family and we're reuniting them in another hour. Moral of the story? Chip your dog!

I only had her for 12 hours but I'm going to miss this little ball of fluff. Thank you all for your advice and help. Both of us appreciate it, and I bet, so does her family.

Awesome news!

That's great that you were able to find her family! Thank you for taking her in and making sure she was reunited with her family

That is wonderful!!! Thank you for taking the time to care for her and make sure she found her way home. I am sure you made her family very happy.

That's awesome news!!! If only everybody in this world were like you it would be a much better place!

Yay! Congrats! I think she converted you into yet another husky lover. Come hang out with us again if you get lonely when she leaves!

That's awesome!