Lost and found: P.C. police share efforts to return lost dogs to their owners

February 22, 2024 at 12:22 a.m.

A dog found by Port Chester police officers waits for their owner to pick them up after being found on Westchester Avenue on Feb. 8. The department makes Facebook posts like this frequently, as their animal control officer, Kyah Kramer, tries to reunite lost dogs with their owners. (Courtesy photo of Port Chester Police Department Facebook)

A brief skim of the Port Chester Police Department’s Facebook page will, sooner or later, reveal a photo of a dog at the precinct, with a request for the owner to pick up their lost pet.

“It’s a constant occurrence here,” Port Chester Police Officer Kyah Kramer said. “I don’t know if it’s very frequent in other villages, but it seems to me that a lot of dogs get out around here.”

Kramer is the patrol officer who is assigned to do animal control for the department. While at one point in time the term “animal control” could allude to an image of a dogcatcher with a net on long pole who prowls the streets searching for stray dogs, it’s now a function the Port Chester police take to heart.

While aware of the stereotypical caricature, Kramer emphasized those days are long gone—what she does is similar, but very different.

“We don’t do that kind of thing,” she laughed. “There’s no need for that. Most of the animals we deal with are pets who get out.”

She took over the position in 2023, following Thomas Krempa’s medical leave. While it wasn’t something she had originally intended for her career as a police officer, it’s a role she’s settled into.

“It’s a position that really fits me,” Kramer said. She’s a lifelong dog lover, having experience with them in both her personal and professional life.

“I worked at Gracelane Kennels in Ossining,” the Port Chester native explained. “It was my first job, and I was there for three or four years while I was in high school and college. It’s been my lifestyle, so it all just worked out.”

While she is in charge of animal control, Kramer said she doesn’t handle wildlife. “I receive the complaints when they come up, like racoons or foxes, but I’ll refer them to other agencies that are better equipped or trained for that kind of thing.”

Occasionally, Kramer will request assistance from the Humane Law Enforcement unit of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Westchester. “I’ve asked them to investigate cases with me because they have experience with things that I’m not familiar with,” she said. “In my role, I deal with more simple calls, usually involving domestic animals. If things were out of what we can handle, I’ll involve them.”

Predominantly, she said, the Port Chester Police Department deals with lost pets.

On average, the department will post three requests for help identifying pets on their Facebook page per month, though some months can see up to six. But, according to Kramer, the many dogs featured on the department’s social media page are not all the pups picked up by officers.

“Any officer who runs into a lost dog will try to handle it immediately,” she said. “Sometimes, we don’t have to bring them back to our kennel because the owner is found nearby.” In cases where the pup has to be brought back to the police department headquarters at 350 N. Main St., Kramer’s duty is to attempt to track down the owner.

“We make the post on Facebook to try get the public’s help,” she said. “And I’ll look for a tag, collar or check to see if it has a chip.”

She also searches through dog licenses to try to identify the dog. But while Kramer does her best to reunite the pet with its owner, she doesn’t have much time to do so.

The department’s policy regarding canine impoundments is to keep them for as little time as possible. “Within two days, if nobody claims the dog, we’ll bring them to the Humane Society in New Rochelle,” Kramer explained. “They can still get picked up there, but after a while they’ll be put up for adoption.”

It’s a practice she’s grateful for.

“I have a dog of my own, so I don’t really want another one,” she laughed. She’s spent the last nine years with Ty, her Beagle.

The dogs who stay at the police station are kept in a kennel in the garage, located next to K9 Officer Mac’s work abode. They’re given a bed, blanket and water for the duration of their visit. Kramer said unless the dog looks malnourished, officers avoid feeding the pets in case they have special dietary restrictions.

When asked if the department successfully brings pet families back together, Kramer lamented that they’ve received mixed results.

“It’s kind of a toss-up,” she said. “A lot of owners come fairly quickly, but others never turn up. It’s really unfortunate.”

While Kramer said it’s impossible to prevent dogs from getting away from their owners, there are ways to avoid an impoundment at the police department and the $15 fee that comes with it.

“The easiest thing people can do is put a collar on your dog,” she said. “If you know or are afraid that your dog can get out, putting a collar with the dog’s name and your information can make everything a lot easier.” She added it would increase the chance of a third party returning the pet home instead of reporting them to the police.

Dog owners should keep their pets’ licenses up to date, she stressed. “It’s required by the Town of Rye, but it’s another form of identification for your pet,” she said. The licenses can be acquired at the Rye Town offices, located on the third floor of Port Chester Village Hall at 222 Grace Church St.

“The goal is to be able to keep dogs from being impounded,” she said. “It makes things easier for us and for the owners.”