Those owners wouldn't have even needed to drive.. they obviously have email and phones.. couldn't they have looked up the number at the shelter via internet and called to see if their pup was there?

I lost a cat once. I called every shelter three times a day, called Cat Find (a local organization in the area I was living) three times a day and faxed them photos, and put an ad in the paper. He also had a tatoo. He was found within three days, because someone picked him up, saw his tatoo and put a found ad in the paper. All the phoning and faxing I did was a tiny price to pay to get my cat back.