Animals - Stray

The Council has a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 149 to collect and detain stray dogs found on the street. Owners have seven days to claim their dogs and those that are not claimed are found a new home. 

The charge for the return of each stray dog is £25 plus a £6.50 administration charge and kennelling fees of £9 per night. The charge for pensioners and those on benefit is fixed at £5.50 plus kennelling fees.

If a dog is found to have been micro-chipped, there is no charge for its return. However, if it is a third time offence the normal charges will apply. We are also able to offer a micro-chipping service for £15.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec 150 requires the finder of a stray dog to:

• return the dog to its owner; or
• contact the local authority for the area in which the dog was found.

If the finder fails to take one of these courses of action he will have committed an offence and would be liable, upon conviction, to a fine.

If the finder requests to keep the dog, he must supply the officer with his contact details and details of the dog. The officer is required to keep a record of these details.

Regulations require that the officer makes appropriate enquiries to ascertain that the finder is a suitable person to keep the dog.

The finder must then be informed verbally and in writing that he is obliged to keep the dog (if unclaimed by the owner) for not less than one month and that failure to comply with that obligation is a criminal offence.