Lost and stray dogs | Animal care and control

The police are responsible for dangerous dogs and dogs worrying livestock – call 0300 333 4444 to report this sort of crime

a description of the dog
where the dog is being held – we can only collect dogs held in a contained area such as a garden
whether the dog is aggressive and, if so, whether have the police been contacted
whether the dog is wearing a collar
whether the dog is injured

We will pass your details to our dog warden who will contact you.

The dog warden will collected a dog between 8am and 10pm, 7 days a week, if the dog is contained. They will not collect a dog that is not contained, or between 10pm and 8am.

Report a lost or stray dog

: 01375 652 955

Emergency contact outside of office hours

: 01375 372 468

For use outside of normal office hours:

Monday to Thursday, 5pm to 9am
Friday, from 5pm through the weekend until 9am on Monday
public holidays

Keeping stray dogs

If you find a stray dog and would like to keep it, you must still report it to us and allow our dog warden to collect it. This allows us to make a reasonable attempt to contact the owner and allow them a reasonable opportunity to collect the dog.

If the owner does not collect the dog within 7 days, then we will decide whether you are a suitable person to keep the dog. We will tell you our decision in writing and, if suitable, you are then legally obliged to keep the dog for at least a month.

After a dog has been collected

We have a legal responsibility to collect stray dogs. Where a dog has been collected and not claimed by the owner, we must keep the dog for a maximum of 7 days. During that time we make sure the the dog is housed, fed and well cared-for.

After 7 days we'll pass ownership of the dog to our dog warden contractor who will do all they can to re-home the dog. We will never euthanise (put-down) a healthy dog.

Claiming a dog

If you have lost your dog and our dog warden has collected it, you can contact us and arrange to claim your pet.

You will have to pay fees to recover a stray dog.

Unclaimed dogs

If a dog has not been claimed after 7 days it becomes our property and we pass on ownership to our dog warden.

It is not our policy to put down stray dogs after the 7-day period. Dogs will be only ever be put down by a veterinary surgeon and only if they are in severe pain or distress.

Register of detained dogs

We keep a register of all dogs seized by us, brought to us or left in the possession of those who find them.