Abandoned or lost dog: what to do?

Do not walk directly toward it: the dog may interpret this gesture as a threat, become frightened and run away or become aggressive. Stay crouched and pay attention to its signals: bared teeth, growls, bristly fur should alert you. To approach the animal, it is a good idea to approach it from the side and not from the front, perhaps holding out a hand with the palm facing up and bending at the knees to be at its height, with the head tilted slightly to the side, in a signal of non-belligerence.
In the most difficult cases, if the dog is very frightened and wary, it is best not to approach and have experts from the shelter, the ASL or one of the many animal welfare associations throughout Italy intervene. If, on the other hand, he allows himself to be approached, you can give him a little water and food. Food, often, is also a great way to make “friends” and to let the animal know that we do not want to harm it.
N.B. If the dog is visibly injured:
Perhaps due to an accident, do not give him any medication or food or water and take him to the veterinarian immediately. To avoid making any injuries or fractures worse, place him on something rigid that will act as a stretcher.
Veterinary doctors, have a duty of care as stipulated in Article 16 of the profession´s Code of Ethics: “The veterinary doctor has the obligation, in cases of urgency at which he or she is present, to provide the first care to the animals to the extent of his or her capacity and related to the specific context, if necessary even if only by activating himself or herself to ensure any specific and adequate assistance.”

Contact a veterinarian, who will arrange for the microchip or tattoo to be read. In case the dog does not have one, you can contact an association, institution, or organization for the welfare of animals, and ask what procedure to follow.
In case you intend to keep the dog for the time being, you must still make a written report of the incident to the Municipal Police Command of the locale where you have found it giving as accurate a description as possible. Leave your address and contact information and have the police tell you which animal shelter is responsible for that area.
Contact the shelter, give them your contact information; the date and place of the find; an accurate description of the dog and an identification photo.

NB: in order not to be accused of misappropriation the above must be scrupulously and promptly done !!!
NOTE: Contact with Associations does not and should not/cannot replace public authorities and agencies as well as Police Forces. But they can work alongside citizens in their requests and support them.

The Municipal Police are obliged to intervene by requesting the dog-catcher service. These in turn, must be on call 24 hours a day, even on holidays, and by contract must go to the scene and retrieve the animal within 20 minutes of the call. The collared dog is then handed over to the appropriate local shelter, where the rightful owner is likely to look for it if it is lost. Ask which animal shelter it is: worrying about the fate of the dog is an act of good civic sense. You can call the shelter after a few days to get updates on the dog in question. In case the dog has not yet been redeemed, you can take action to help it find its owner by following the steps below.

a)Post flyers of the dog (possibly with photos) in the area where it was found. Spread the word in the most popular places, such as supermarkets, public transportation stops, pet supply stores, and in green areas frequented by dog owners.

b) Spread the report to veterinary clinics and any animal welfare associations in the area.

c) Also notify the Municipal Police commands of neighboring municipalities.

d) Report the find, always preferably accompanied by a photo, to sites that collect data on lost and found animals locally, regionally and nationally.
To report it on our website place a find announcement

Anyone who finds an abandoned or stray dog must file a find report. This allows the authorities to check whether any reports of loss are pending, and if there is a match, the dog can be returned to its owner promptly.
It is not appropriate to take the dog home with you without reporting it. In fact, in such a case, you could be charged of misappropriation.
At the time of filing the report, you may point out that you have decided to adopt the dog, should the rightful owner not be traced. In this case, the procedure to be followed is as already stated above.

Once recovered, the animal is taken to the shelter, where it is examined by veterinarians, who ascertain whether it is microchipped or tattooed.
If it is microchipped or tattooed, the owner is contacted and the animal is returned to him or her. If the animal is neither microchipped nor tattooed, it must remain 60 days in the shelter, during which time the owner may show up. Should no one claim it during that period, the dog is placed for adoption. During the same period, the person who found it or anyone with an interest may apply for fostering.
The animal is given temporarily to the applicant on the condition that s/he will return it if the rightful owner shows up. After 60 days, if the ownre does not show up the dog can be adopted.

Remember that a dog wandering alone is not necessarily abandoned, it may also be temporarily lost. Following these few rules will help its owners find their four-legged friend and the animal find the love of those who are looking for it.
If at that moment it seems to you that the best thing you can do to help the dog is to take it home with you, in reality doing so hinders the proper procedure of rescue, and, in the case of an accidentally lost dog, you may thwart any chance of reuniting it with its rightful family.

In the event that it lacks a microchip or tattoo that would allow the owner to be traced, the ASL veterinarian may order that it be temporarily placed into foster care for 60 days, after which, and in the absence of a complaint from the owner, it may be permanently adopted.