Dog control orders

Stray and lost dogs

Found a stray dog?

A stray dog is any dog loose in a public place with no one obviously in charge of it. 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 that it has a collar and tag.

Report a stray dog

If a stray dog is reported between the hours of 9am to 5pm, the dog warden will attend as long as the dog is confined/contained. If the dog is 'roaming loose' in a general area, we will assess the practicability and schedule a collection with a patrol of that area.

Whilst we don’t have a statutory obligation to collect dogs out of hours, we will go beyond this by collecting confined/contained dogs.

Lost your dog?

Report your lost dog

You can also visit the Lost Dogs UK website. This includes details of found dogs.

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. We will take the dog to our nominated kennels if there is no one at home to take the dog.

If a dog cannot be identified, it will be taken to kennels where it will be kept for up to 8 days. We will re-home the dog after this. The dog may be put to sleep if this is not possible due to temperament or other circumstances.

Fees and charges

Direct return of chipped/tagged dogs to the owner

£35.40 (prior to kennel stay).

Collection of dogs from kennels (only if the dog is micro-chipped)

£70.40 + £21 per night.

Collection of dogs from kennels (not chipped or information out of date and no permission to chip prior to release)

£97.10 + £21 per night.

Collection of dogs from kennels (not chipped, permission to chip prior to release, cost of chip included)

£85.40 + £21 per night.

Dog warden returns dog from kennels (micro-chipped dog)

£140.70 + £21 per night.

Dog warden returns dog from kennels (not chipped or information out of date and no permission to chip prior to release)

£167.20 + £21 per night.

Dog warden returns dog from kennels (not chipped, permission to chip prior to release, cost of chip included)

£155.20 + £21 per night.

Kenneling of stray dogs

£21 per night.

How to get your dog back

You can collect your dog from the kennels after you pay the dog warden fees and charges. You must pay before collecting your dog. The fees include a statutory fee and kennelling fees.

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.