It was a few weeks before Christmas when a lost dog came into our newsroom.

The Chihuahua scurrying about the office attracted quite a bit of attention, as employees from all over the building were drawn to her cuteness — and those sad little eyes.

We checked with neighboring businesses, but no one was missing a dog. She had no collar, so advertising consultant Mary Dolliver took her to a local veterinarian to see if she was microchipped. No luck there.

She was so cute and timid and kind — we knew she must be someone’s pet.

Advertising consultant Gayle Scott volunteered to watch her until her owner was found and named her Roxy. Roxy quickly became friends with Gayle’s daughter, Jordyn, who would dress her up in pink outfits.

But then came a little surprise — Roxy was pregnant!

Sadly, she lost both puppies. But a veterinarian was able to perform a C-section, give her all her shots, microchip and spay her — at quite a discount.

Although we don’t know for sure, we have to wonder if someone couldn’t afford to keep Roxy and set her loose on the streets. It’s something the Placer SPCA is all too familiar with.

“A majority of the animals who come to us as strays, we know just about every last one of them was still owned by someone,” said Leilani Fratis, CEO of the Placer SPCA.

Last year, the SPCA took in 987 stray dogs, of which 453 were redeemed. A smaller percentage of stray cats make it back to their owners — only 79 out of 1,778.

Fratis recommends if you do find a stray animal, check for collars and tags. Most veterinarians and the Placer SPCA also will provide a free microchip scan. If you choose to keep the animal while trying to find the owners, contact the SPCA, local veterinary offices, the newspaper (“found” ads are free in the Press Tribune), and Craigslist. Put up fliers in the neighborhood.

“When we have lost animals turned in to us, we go to those resources to look for the owners,” she said.

If you’re an animal owner in need, the Placer SPCA has resources for you, too. There’s the SOS program, which provides one-time assistance for responsible animal owners who need help with pet deposits or veterinary bills. They also provide spay and neuter assistance, with vouchers for free spay/neuter for all cats and pitbulls. Visit www.placerspca.org for more information and to download applications.

And should you have to make the difficult decision that you can no longer keep your animal, surrendering them to the Placer SPCA is a better option.

“To allow a dog or cat to remain free roaming is very unsafe for those animals, and also unsafe for the public,” Fratis said.

Roxy is safe for now, staying with advertising consultant Dawn Baron, waiting for her “forever home.”

Michelle Carl can be reached at michellec@goldcountrymedia.com.