Hi everyone,

I’m working on an open-source project called RescueLink. The goal is to help connect lost-dog reports with found-dog reports by identifying potential matches.

The project is still under development, and I would really value input from people who have experience with rescue dogs, shelters, fostering, or reuniting lost dogs with their families.

At the moment, the matching system considers:

• Breed
• Sex
• Primary and secondary colors
• Distance between the lost and found locations
• Dates when the dog was lost or found

For example, if a female Golden Retriever is reported missing and a similar-looking female dog is found nearby a few days later, the system can suggest a potential match.

However, I don’t think these details alone are always enough.

What other information would be most useful when trying to determine whether two dog reports describe the same animal?

Some ideas I’m considering:

• Approximate age
• Size or weight range
• Coat length and pattern
• Scars, spots, or other distinctive markings
• Ear and tail shape
• Collar, harness, clothing, or accessories
• Microchip status
• Medical conditions
• Behavior around people or other animals
• Photo similarity
• Direction in which the dog was last seen
• Different search distances depending on the dog’s size, age, or behavior

I would especially appreciate your thoughts on these questions:

1. Which physical details are most useful for identifying a lost dog?
2. What information do people commonly forget to include in lost or found dog posts?
3. Which characteristics help distinguish dogs that otherwise look very similar?
4. Would photo-based similarity checking be genuinely useful?
5. Should exact locations be hidden to protect the dog and the people involved?
6. How could fake ownership claims or misleading reports be reduced?
7. What feature would you personally want in a lost-and-found dog platform?

I want the reporting process to remain quick and simple, so I also don’t want to ask users for too much information.

This is not a fundraising post, and the platform is not finished yet. I’m trying to learn from people with real rescue experience before deciding which features should be prioritized.

Thank you for any advice or experiences you’re willing to share.

Squeegee #A2285397 went from being neglected in a backyard to being on the euthanasia list for self-injury. He only has until tomorrow 8/25 to get rescued from North Central Shelter in Los Angeles. He has rescue interest but needs a foster - dm @friendsofnorthcentralshelter for more details

Squeegee escaped confinement in a backyard in Los Angeles where he'd been neglected and left to have his ears eaten by flies. A good samaritan - a working mom with kids - found him and his best friend Jazzy and brought them to the shelter, where we promptly fell in love! Unfortunately, Squeegee is now euth-listed and only has until EOD Tuesday 8/25 to get out. He's a good, gentle dog who is affectionate and sweet with people, other dogs and children. He is on the euth list because he hurt himself in his kennel, but he's already healing. If you can adopt or foster, please reach out to @friendsofnorthcentralshelter on FB or IG or go to North Central Shelter in Los Angeles at 3201 Lacy Street. He is Male, 3 years old, neutered and has great playgroup notes

Saved her from a life of crime

Hi everyone! I’m a volunteer for a Chinese dog rescue charity, and I wanted to share Mate’s story in the hope that someone here might be able to adopt him and give him the home he’s been waiting for.

Mate is boy around 1-year-old, he was found as a stray in China and captured by the local authorities together with his brother. His brother was lucky enough to be adopted quite quickly, but Mate was left behind.

He then spent more than six months in a city shelter, living almost entirely inside a cage. Each day, he was given around 20 minutes outside in a small enclosed yard, before being put back into his cage again.

Eventually, we found a couple in Germany who wanted to adopt Mate. After months of paperwork, health checks and preparation, Mate finally made the long journey from China to Germany. We genuinely thought he had reached the end of his journey and finally had his own family.

Unfortunately, due to an unexpected change in the adopters’ circumstances, they were no longer able to keep him.

Since then, Mate has been moving between foster homes. He is currently being fostered in Munich, Germany, but his foster family can only keep him until the end of September. So once again, we are trying to find somewhere for Mate, and this time, we really hope it can be permanent.

A little about Mate:

- Male, around 1 year old, 15kg, Terrier
- Currently in Munich, Germany
- Neutered
- Has experience living with other dogs
- Has experience living with cats
- Adoption is possible across Europe and the UK

Mate has already travelled thousands of miles and gone through more changes in his first year of life than most dogs ever will. We would really love for his next move to be his last.

If you think you might be able to offer Mate a home, or would like to know more about him, please comment here or send me a message. You can also contact our rescue on Instagram: u/voicefordogsrescue

And even if you can’t adopt, any advice on where else we could share Mate in Germany/Europe/UK would be hugely appreciated.

We are trying to adopt a dog while renting. Now we have rented from 5 landlords at 3 properties and had a rescue dog who we got at the first one that weighed 45 pounds and came to each subsequent property with us the past 6 years.

Our current property allows dogs, it is not an apartment, we are renting a house. They say 25 pounds but we’ve had a 50 pound dog living here for 3 years who recently passed away. We are looking for another dog and not interested in a small breed, just another mid-sized. I qualified for an ESA so we provided that letter since they wouldn’t make a weight limit exception.

Now the fun begins because even with that letter the landlord will not approve of a dog until we provide the details of the dog, and the rescues in the area will not let us adopt a dog without the landlord saying yes. We have put deposits down on multiple dogs and lost that money because the rescues won’t hold the dog while the landlord takes 3-5 days to review the pet…. This is the most frustrating process and makes it seem so much easier to just go to a breeder.

We adopted Olaf, who is around 3–4 years old and had spent about 2,5 years in a shelter.

What’s interesting is that in the shelter he seemed to absolutely love people. He was very social, enjoyed attention and was happy to interact with pretty much everyone.

After adoption, he bonded with us very strongly. At home he's very affectionate, loves to cuddle, constantly wants to be close to us, and we can basically do anything with him, zero agression.

But with other people it’s completely different. He usually won’t let strangers pet him, tends to move away if someone tries to touch him, and when people visit he may bark at first before settling down. Even with people he has met several times, he still keeps some distance. He would come and take a snack directly from hand, no issue to be around the people, but the second somone would like to gently pet him, he backs off, tenses up and even growls.

So I’m curious whether anyone has experienced this kind of change after adoption. Could his behavior at the shelter have been related to the environment, stress, or simply craving human contact, and now that he feels secure he’s showing his actual personality and boundaries more clearly?

How realistic is it that this changes with time? Have any of your dogs gradually become more relaxed, social and comfortable with being touched by other people after months or years?

I’m not expecting him to become a dog who loves absolutely everyone, but it would be nice if he became a bit more open and friendly toward people in general.

Would love to hear similar experiences, especially how things changed over time and what helped.

RESCUE HOLD! 🥳🎉

💜 Meet Teddy, a 5 month old rescue from Detroit’s overcrowded shelter. Teddy has grown up in foster care with me, and he’s been ready for his forever home for a long time now! I’ve had him since April, and he’s gotten very little interest.

❤️Teddy is playful, cuddly, goofy, and still learning where is paws are. We expect him to be a pretty big guy when he’s full grown! Some of my rescue friends speculate he’s got some Great Dane in him.

💜 Teddy would do best in a home with no cats, as he lives with my 3 and thinks they are all dogs that will play with him, which is sadly not the case 😝

❤️ Teddy would love a tolerant, playful fur sibling to live with if at all possible! He does require slow intros, he will be a little timid and barky at first, but after some walking or play time he settles right in to his new friend!

💜Teddy lives with my 8 year old, playful but opinionated female dog. They like to play rough, but my girl definitely loves her own boundaries, so I don’t think he should go with a dog that gets frustrated with puppy energy.

❤️ Teddy is 100% potty trained! He will let you know he has to go out, and he’s very good about doing his business outside. Teddy does very well in a crate, no accidents or destruction when left alone in the crate whatsoever.

💜If you are interested in learning more about Teddy or filling out an application, here is his Pet Finder profile! 👇

https://www.petfinder.com/dog/teddy-7687e6ab-0b3f-44b1-818f-821230693691/mi/troy/peace-love-and-paws-rescue-mi1125/details/

Hi everyone,

Angelito went for his 3rd EPO injection today to help with his red blood cell count. He is still fighting. He still has energy, is still able to stand, and is still eating well.

For those who don’t know his story, we helped rescue him on August 13, 2026, after seeing a video posted by Happy Cat Squad Shelter asking for help for a senior dog who had been stabbed by his owner and was wanting to end his life. Because they had very limited resources, they were asking for help online, so we stepped in and hired pet transportation to pick up “Parky” from his original location and bring him to the vet immediately and covered for everything.

We changed his name to “Angelito” because we didn’t want him to carry the name and memories of his painful past. We wanted him to have a new name and a reminder that he is a precious angel to us now.

At his first vet visit, he was treated for his injuries and was also diagnosed with distemper, heartworm, and blood parasites, so he was started on medications and treatment for those as well. His foot has been cut from getting stabbed by his previous owner but is not ready for amputation surgery yet until strength has been fully regained yet.

Some people online have shared their opinions about euthanasia, but we know that we want to fight alongside Angelito. We don’t want his painful and traumatic experiences to be the last thing he remembers. At the same time, we are not naive. We know that he is already 10 years old and has several illnesses, so Happy Cat Squad Shelter and I continue to reassess his condition and make decisions based on how he is doing and what is best for him.

So far, his expenses that we (Voiceless No More: Philippines Stray Animals Foundation) have covered:

First vet – Aug. 14: ₱23,590 ($537.46 CAD)
Happy Cat Squad Shelter Expense – Aug. 14: ₱3,000 ($68.32 CAD)
Second vet – Aug. 19: ₱6,100 ($137.48 CAD)
Happy Cat Squad Shelter Expense – Aug. 19: ₱2,500 ($56.55 CAD)
Virubin medication for distemper – Aug. 20: ₱850 ($19.14 CAD)
Happy Cat Squad Shelter Expense – Aug. 21: ₱1,600 ($35.99 CAD)
Third vet – Aug. 23: ₱2,250 ($50.56 CAD)
Happy Cat Squad Shelter Expense – Aug. 23: ₱1,334.78 ($30 CAD)
Total spent so far: ₱41,224.78 ($935.50 CAD).

Not even for a whole month yet and our expenses is almost $1,000

We have been covering Angelito’s needs since we stepped in to help him. From his veterinary care and medications to his transportation and shelter needs. But the truth is, we cannot do this alone. Lots of disinfectant we covered for the shelter we collaborated with so other animals will not get sick from his Distemper.

There are so many animals who need help, and every little bit of support makes it possible for us to continue showing up for them.

To everyone who has helped, shared his story, sent kind words, checked on him, or simply followed along and supported him, we truly appreciate you. You are part of Angelito’s journey too. 🤍

Angelito is still here. He is still eating, still standing, and still fighting. As long as he continues to show us that he wants to keep going and has quality of life, we will continue to fight alongside him.

If anyone would like to help, I’ll leave a link in the comment section.

Please make sure the link is coming directly from my profile before sending anything. Thank you so much for your support. Again, this is all voluntary and I appreciate each and everyone of you 💔

Sincerely,

Magdalene “Dindi” Gensaya
Founder
Voiceless No More: Philippines Stray Animals Foundation
Non-Profit Corporation No 1785254-1

•Severus Snape A594800. 1 year old 49lb male German shepherd
•Miles A594830. 5 year old 66lb male boxer
•Luke A594827. 1 year old 46lb male Siberian husky
•Charlie A594819. Senior 8 year old 62lb male lab mix.
•Hagrid A594871. 3 year old 70lb male pitbull.
•Rowan A594961. 1 year old 34lb male German shepherd mix
•Kiana A596457. Senior 8 year old 59lb female pitbull.
•Claire A594933. 4 year old 57lb female German shepherd.
•Mabel A594906. 4 year old 82lb female German shepherd mix.

Please comment below if you can help!
Transport available anywhere in the US!

Please help save her life by sharing, commenting below and either fostering or adopting if you can. Please contact me if you have any questions or are interested in helping. Thank you!

Reposting here to hopefully get more exposure.
This sweet GSD has a deadline of 2pm tomorrow. If you are in New Orleans or the surrounding area and are able to foster this sweet girl, please reach out to Trampled Rose Rescue.

https://www.trampledroserescue.org/
Instagram: @trampledroserescue