What to do if you find a stray dog
If you have found a stray dog, call our contractor to report it. The dog must be confined and under your control before you call.
Report a stray dog
Telephone: 03444 828320
Your call will be answered seven days a week, 365 days a year.
When you call, our contractor will ask for:
- your name and address
- your contact details
- the exact location of the dog
- the breed and colour of the dog
- the owner's details, if known
What happens next
We must collect stray dogs reported to us under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
We will attend the place where the dog is being held. We will try to find the owner by checking dog tags and microchips.
If we cannot find the owner, we will take the dog to our nominated kennels.
Any dog taken to the kennels will be kept for seven days so the owner can reclaim it. After that, legal ownership transfers to the council and we will arrange for the dog to be rehomed, if it is suitable for rehoming.
Any dog found in a public or private place where it should not be, and which appears to be without its owner or under anyone's control, may be seized and detained as a stray dog by an appropriate person.
Reclaiming a dog
Any dog we collect will be taken to kennels. We will make every effort to find and notify the owner.
If you reclaim your dog, you must pay the costs before the dog can be released. These include a statutory fee, plus handling, administration and kennelling costs.