Good post
!
I honestly don't know of any laws in AZ, but perhaps there are some. I totally agree with you in saying that it is a moral and ethical responsibility to find the owner UNLESS there is some clear irrefutable evidence that the dog was abused and/or was used as a fighting dog. And there are some cases in which you could have irrefutable evidence.
I believe in fully trying to find the owner in almost all cases by notifying certain agencies, posting on Craigs and checking Craig's Lost ads, and by putting up posters in the area. After that and after a certain amount of time has passed, decisions have to be made in my mind. At that point, I usually contact rescues to see if they'll help me find a home for the pup, even if the pup is still fostered/living with me. I hesitate to surrender most pups to our pound bc of our very high euthanasia rate (Phoenix metro kills 66,000+ animals a year).
