Dogs

A stray dog is any dog that appears to be without its owner and is straying on public or other land.

Reporting a stray dog

If you find a stray dog without any identification, call us on 01432 261761 (9am to 3pm) and provide us with some information. The more information you can provide, the better the chance of us being able to reunite a dog with its owner.

We will contact you as soon as possible (this may be the next working day if out of hours) to arrange collection. Please note we are only able to collect dogs between Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm.

Out of hours

The council operates an out of hours facility which allows stray dogs to be taken to our holding kennels between the hours of 3pm to 8pm.

After 3pm if you find a stray dog, you should contact the kennel staff on mobile 0775 154 9770 and provide as much information as possible. Arrangement can then be made for the dog to be taken to the holding kennels.

Please note, there is no collection facility for dogs across the county during out of hours (3pm to 8pm, seven days a week). Members of the public are requested to take the dog to the kennels.

What happens next

Our holding kennels will keep the dog until either the owner comes forward or until the dog has been in our care for seven days. After seven days the dog will be passed on to our re-homing facility.

If you have lost a dog

If you have lost your dog, contact us on 01432 261761, Monday to Friday - 9am to 4.15pm. We will need a description of your dog, your contact details and where you lost your dog.

You may also wish to call your local vets and animal rescue centres, as the person who found the dog may have contacted these first.

If your dog is held as a stray at our holding kennels you will need to pay the council a collection and administration fee of £55 for the first 24 hours and a kennel fee of £13.50 a day thereafter, before the animal will be released to you. There may also be additional costs of veterinary treatment.