Start the record the moment you take him in
A found dog may be reunited within the hour or stay with you for weeks, and a tidy record serves both outcomes. Begin a single log — a notebook, a phone note or a document — and write down exactly where you found him, the time of day, his condition, and what he was wearing: collar, harness, a lead attached or nothing at all. Photograph him from both sides and face-on before you clean him up, because a matted coat, a limp or a mud pattern may be exactly what an owner recognises or a warden asks about. Note what you did next, in order: who you called, when, and what they said. Memory blurs within days; the log will not, and if the dog's ownership is ever questioned, this contemporaneous record protects you as well as him.
The vet scan and what to write down
The first practical step is a free microchip scan, offered by any vet practice, rescue or warden service. Record the outcome precisely: whether a chip was found, whether the vet could read the registered keeper's details or only confirm that a chip exists, and whether the practice contacted the registered keeper themselves or passed that task to you. If the vet checks him over while you are there, note anything found — the state of his teeth, any injury, signs of a recent litter, a healing wound — because condition notes help match him against lost-dog reports and may matter for his welfare. Also record the practice name and who saw him, so anyone following up can call the right place without starting again.
Reports: council, warden and lost-dog listings
In most areas you are required to report a found dog to the local council or dog warden, and that report creates an official reference that anchors your whole record. Write down the reference number, the name of the person who took the report, and exactly what they advised about where the dog should stay while the search runs. Then mirror the same facts into your listings: lost-and-found registers, local community groups and rescue pages respond to specifics, so post his photographs, the found location and the report reference rather than a vague appeal. Keep copies or screenshots of every listing with the day you posted it, and log every enquiry that comes in, including the ones that turn out to be wrong matches — an owner may surface through a thread you thought had gone quiet.
A daily log while the search continues
While he is with you, keep the record running: what he eats and how eagerly, his toilet habits, his sleep, his behaviour around your own pets, any coughing, scratching or limping, and any fears or training gaps you notice. This daily picture does two jobs. It gives the eventual owner a genuine account of his missing weeks, and it gives a warden or rescue an honest assessment if no owner appears and rehoming decisions have to be made. It also protects you: every entry shows the dog was cared for, fed and kept safely while he was in your hands. Holding the scan result, the report reference, the listings and this daily log in one place is exactly what KinsLe's Pet Passport provides — a single packet for the found dog that you can hand over complete to his owner, the warden or a rescue when his next step is decided.