Lost dogs

If your dog goes missing the first thing to do is to check with your local council.   They will have a Lost Dogs Register and if he’s been picked up by the Dog Wardens (who only work Mon – Friday) he will be listed.   After a photograph has been taken and he’s been checked for a microchip he’ll be taken to the local kennels who deal with strays.  It’s us in this area.   Bear in mind that neither the police nor the R.S.P.C.A deal with stray dogs.   All strays dogs are dealt with by the Local Authority in the area in which they are found.     That’s right – it’s not where you live or the people who found him live – it’s where he was picked up.   The police are still responsible for dealing with dangerous dogs however.    You will be able to find out from the council (and their Care Line when the offices are closed) the contact details of the stray dog kennels and can get in touch with them direct.    The kennels will also make a record of every dog brought in.   Members of the public can take dogs into the kennels out of hours but must contact the kennels or the Care Line first.   He will be kept there for ten days and then the Council’s responsibility is ended and he is handed over to whichever animal shelter will have him.   All dogs brought in here that are not claimed, stay with us and we have a non-destruction policy.   A big re-hab unit though!    Once a dog has been booked in as a stray, there will be a fee to pay to the Council, for his return.    Once you have the official Council Receipt you can have your dog back.    The kennels do not have any say in the fees nor can they make any concessions – that is up to the Council.   Some people are aggrieved that they should have to pay to get their dog back but this is something we have no control over.   The Dog Wardens and stray dog scheme has to be funded somehow.   Otherwise we would have packs of dogs roaming the streets and getting knocked down by cars.     All microchips are checked and if there is a chip a notice is served by the Local Authority on the owner.       This is why it’s so important to keep microchip records up to date.  If you move house and haven’t told Petlog or whichever company has been used, the notice will go to the wrong address.    This is why dogs sometimes cannot be traced and owners, even though they desperately want them back, can’t find them.

Most of the dogs brought in here are not claimed and keeping them until they can be nursed back to health and rehabilitated and found new homes is a huge expense.   In some areas the strays are destroyed, which is very sad, but there are just so many unwanted dogs.    It’s only with your help that we can keep saving them.  Many thanks.   [donate]