What is a stray dog?

Any dog loose in a public place with no one obviously in charge of it.

Collar and tag

The law requires that all dogs in a public place must wear a collar and identification tag which gives the name and address of the owner. Anyone who is responsible for the dog while in a public place must make sure it has a collar and tag.

What happens to stray dogs found by the dog warden?

• If the dog is wearing a collar and tag/ or is microchipped, it will be returned to the owner. If no one is home to receive the dog, it will normally be taken to the Council's nominated kennels. Please see the current list of fees and charges associated with care of stray dogs.
• If a dog cannot be identified it will be taken to kennels where it will be kept for up to 8 days. If a dog is not claimed, we will do our best to get it rehomed. If this is not possible due to temperament or not able to be rehomed for whatever reason, the dog may be put to sleep.

What to do if you find a loose/stray dog?

If you find a stray dog, please call our Customer Services using the number on the right. You may retain the dog if safe to do so until the dog warden arrives.

Lost your dog?

Contact us by calling our Customer Services to let the dog warden know the latest regarding your lost dog.

How to get your dog back?

If your dog has already been taken to the kennels, it can be collected following payment. Fees are to be paid prior to picking up your dog. The fees include a statutory fee and kennelling fees, they may include veterinary fees (vaccinations etc). For an up to date list of the fees, please download the the list of fees and charges (PDF 6KB)

If your dog has strayed and been involved in an accident or has been found to require urgent veterinary attention it may be taken to a vet. If this is the case you will be liable for the payment of the vet fees.

What we can do

Central Bedfordshire Council has a duty to deal with stray dogs, dog fouling and complaints about dog barking.

 There are dog wardens who deal with the dog control in Central Bedfordshire, they deal with the following issues:

To report a dangerous dog, please contact your local police authority. For other enquiries, please contact RSPCA or another rehoming organisation for more information.

Dog fouling

It is an offence to allow a dog, which you a responsible for, to foul and not clear it up immediately when in a public place. The dog wardens have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to members of the public who allow their dog to foul and fail to remove it.

What happens if an offence is reported?

The dog wardens conduct patrols but need the public's help to report areas of excess dog fouling. The dog wardens can only issue fixed penalty costs of £50 if they see dog fouling happening.

Barking is very natural for dogs but constant barking or whining of a dog can be disturbing or annoying for neighbours. Often the problem occurs when the dog's owner is out of the house, and the owner doesn't know until someone complains.

In Law, a barking dog can be a noise nuisance. The owner can be taken to court if they do nothing to stop nuisance.

Dogs are not by nature solitary animals. They need the security of a family group. Pet dogs regards their owners as a substitute family and can soon become distressed when left alone.

There are many reasons why your dog may bark:

Training is important so that your dog does not bark at just anything that moves. A well-trained dog should be able to tell the difference between people allowed into the house and people who are intruders. Good training combined with affection and companionship should mean that your dog will not develop bad habits.

Some dogs simply do not want you to go out. Get your dog used to the idea that you are away for different periods of time at different times of the day. That way he might not be so concerned each time you leave. And don't make a fuss of your dog when you leave it.

Try putting your dog on their own in another room - at first for a few minutes, then gradually build up the time you leave your dog alone. Do not return to your dog until he/she is quiet for a period. When you return, praise them.

Some dogs will bark because they want to join in with what is going on outside. If this is the problem, try leaving your dog so that they cannot see outside.

Some dogs will settle only if they can hear a human voice. Leaving a radio on at low volume might help. But make sure the radio is not too loud. You don't want to have complaints about that!

Try not to leave your dog for long periods. If you have to, see if there is someone who can look in during that time. Maybe that person could take your dog for a walk or let the dog out into the garden, if you have one.

Try not to leave your house for long periods, if you can't:

Old dogs can be taught new tricks, ask Central Bedfordshire Council's dog warden for additional suggestions.

You should also go to your vet. Sometimes a dog will bark because he is ill - anxiety is often the cause of barking. You can ask your vet to refer your dog to an animal behaviourist who is an expert and can suggest ways to improve your dog's behaviour.

According to the Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR), horses are generally categorised as farm animals and their carcasses must be promptly disposed of at an approved site, in the same way as any other fallen stock.

However, if your horse is considered to be a pet by Trading Standards, then it may be permitted for burial. You should contact the Trading Standards team on 0300 300 8136 to discuss. If they agree, you may bury your horse. The likely requirements for a horse burial site are the following: 

• be at least 250 metres away from any well borehole or spring that supplies water
• be at least 30 metres from any other spring or watercourse, and at least 10 metres from a field drain
• have at least 1 metre of subsoil below the bottom of the burial pit, allowing a hole deep enough for at least 1 metre of soil to cover the carcass
• be free of water at the bottom of the hole, when first dug

You may also dispose of your pet horse at a pet crematorium.

Horse owners and the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo)

If you have already joined the NFSCo in order to dispose of fallen livestock, you can use their collection service for your horse. Contact details for the NFSCo can be found in our Fallen Stock section.

How the scheme works for horse owners

The NFSCo sends horse-owning members a list of all the approved fallen stock collectors in the area, and their prices for various services including:

•   disposal only
•   having the animal put down by the collector
•   collecting an animal after it has been put down by a vet
•   an urgent request for attendance
•   out of hours attendance
•   roadside attendance
•   incineration and return of ashes

When you require a service, as an NFSCo member you can make arrangements with your preferred NFSCo collector. If your horse dies away from the collection point which you registered with NFSCo, the scheme will try and put you in touch with an approved collector near where your horse has died. However this may cost extra.