Stray Dogs

 

This page tells you about the service we provide to catch stray dogs and return them to their owner.

 

Stray dogs are a nuisance. They can cause road traffic accidents, injure themselves, foul on public and private land and also frighten people.

 

Under the Environmental Protection Act, we have the authority to seize stray dogs and keep them safely for up to 7 days.

 

The following advice will tell you what we do if your dog is seized as a stray, including how much you have to pay to have it returned and what to do to prevent it straying.

 

What is a stray dog?

A stray is simply any dog without its owner present, or a dog with its owner not in control.

 

Although some are actually abandoned by their owners, most stray dogs are family pets that have escaped.

 

Dogs that have been let out to exercise themselves, rather than be walked by their owners, are also classed as strays.

 

What happens if my dog strays?

Once we take charge of a stray dog, it will be checked for proper dog identification |(ID).

 

1. If the dog has ID, including micro-chipping or we have a matching record of a dog reported lost and the dog has not strayed before, we will try to contact the owner. The owner may then reclaim it from the council offices on payment of the appropriate fee. This service is only available up to 4:00 p.m. on the day the dog is picked up, as we do not have the facilities at the offices to look after the dog overnight. After 4:00 p.m. the dog will be treated as if it had no ID.
2. In the following cases, the dog will be taken immediately to the kennels that we use:-

 

Getting your dog back from the kennels

You must pay the appropriate fees and obtain a release form from us. It is then your responsibility to take the release form to the kennels and collect your dog.

 

You have 7 days to do this. After 7 days, the kennels will seek to re-home your dog.

 

The cost of getting your dog back

We are allowed to charge its reasonable costs for dealing with your dog, plus a fee set by regulations. These are:-

• £25 fee and
  • £10 if we do not take your dog to the kennels, or
  • £25 if we do take your dog to the kennels, or
  • £25 if your dog has strayed before,
  • kennelling fees, currently £8 per day or part of a day

                and

• any vets fees, including medication if your dog requires treatment

 

These costs must be paid to us before you can reclaim your dog from the kennels.

 

Examples of payments 

1. Your dog strays and you are able to reclaim it before we take it to the kennels.  You pay £35.
2. Your dog strays more than once and you are able to reclaim it before we take it to the kennels. You pay £50 each time it strays.
3. Your dog strays and we take it to the kennels. You pay £50 plus £8 for each day, or part of a day, that it spends at the kennels.

 

What to do to prevent your dog straying

1. Make sure your garden is secure, with no escape routes.
2. Do not leave your front door open.
3. Train your dog to return when it is off its lead.
4. Fit your dog with proper dog identification|, such as a collar and tag or an electronic micro-chip.