Possible Abandoned Dog

convert

I saw two labradors on the road earlier this evening, but because they were near a house with a car in the gateway, I assumed they were belonging to that house and that the owner was with them.

However, a black lab showed up at the house a few minutes ago, and when I went outside and was still quite a distance from him (about 20m and I hadn't even started to approach him - I was literally just standing at the door) he growled and bared his teeth at me in quite an aggressive manner, so I didn't approach him. He was wearing a collar, but he looked very thin, and given that one of the dogs I saw earlier had a dead rabbit in its mouth, I'm starting to think that perhaps they've been abandoned and that the car in the gateway either abandoned them or was trying to approach the dogs to catch them (it's not the same type of vehicle as is owned by the residents of that house).

Given that I live out in the middle of nowhere, and that the dogs have a huge area in which to roam, would I be best to contact the local SPCA/pound (which are quite a distance away) to alert them to the situation now or hold off a day or two to see if I come across the dogs again? I don't want to contact them unnecessarily given that their resources are stretched enough as it is, especially as I only saw one of the dogs, but I'm also aware that if the dog feels threatened by people, then it could harm someone who approached it at a later stage.

fits

I'd say keep an eye out for them and if they stick around perhaps feed them and decide what to do then.

I have two dogs now which I acquired this way...

Discodog

I would ask EGAR for some advice. Sarah often deals with similar cases.