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Reporting a stray dog

If you find a stray dog you should:

• contact the owner if possible - if the dog is wearing a collar tag it should have the owner's contact details, if not
• contact your council - they will arrange for a dog warden to collect the dog

Dog wardens are expert in capturing stray dogs and use scanners to check if the dog has a microchip (containing the owner's contact details).

Most dog warden services are only available in office hours, normally 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. If you find a stray dog outside office hours, your council's website should give details of where you can take it.

• Report a stray dog Opens new window

Dog homes and animal shelters

Dog homes and animal shelters normally only take dogs that an owner no longer wants or cannot keep. Some dog homes will take stray dogs in emergencies - for example, if a dog warden is not available.

You can find your nearest dog home or animal shelter in your phone book or by searching online.

The role of the police

You should not take a stray dog to a police station. The police are responsible for dealing with banned dogs and dogs that are a danger to the public. However, if a dog is straying on school premises or interfering with the flow of traffic (and a dog warden is unavailable), contact the police.

• Find a police authority Opens new window

• Dogs that are banned in the UK

• Controlling your dog in public

If your dog goes missing

You are responsible for making sure your dog wears a collar tag in public place, so your dog can be returned to you if lost. If your dog goes missing you can:

• contact your council's dog warden service and ask if they have it
• check your veterinary surgery and local shop or supermarket notice boards - someone may have placed a notice that they have found a dog
• contact the local dogs home or animal shelter to see if your dog has been handed in

• Find out about the dog warden service Opens new window

If a council's dog warden has your dog you'll be formally sent ('served') a notice to come and collect it. You are likely to be charged for the time it is kept in a kennel. A council can legally keep your dog until you have paid any charges.

If you don't collect your dog within seven days of the notice being served, the dog warden will try and find it a new home.

Keeping a stray dog that you find

You can keep a stray dog temporarily in your home while trying to contact the owner or the dog warden service (which you must do).

It may be possible to adopt the dog if its original owner is not traced or they do not claim the dog within seven days. You should tell the dog warden if you would like to adopt the dog. However, the legal ownership of the dog is never transferred to you. This means that the original owner could claim their dog back at anytime - even if you've had the dog for several months or years.

If there is a dispute about who owns the dog, a civil court will be needed to sort the issue out.

• Civil justice

More useful links

• DogLost Opens new window

• UK National Missing Pets Register Opens new window