What to do if you lose your dog

The gate was only open for a few minutes.    How did that gap appear in the hedge?      Why did my dog run away?   He jumped out of the car before I could stop him.   I left him with a friends and they let him off the lead, etc.etc.     For any owner it’s devastating to find that their dog has gone missing.   It’s even worse when you’ve searched the area and asked everybody you can think of and several hours have gone by and there’s no sight of him.    What should you do next?

• Ring the police – whilst they often have some information, they don’t actually deal with stray dogs any more.   They do deal with stolen or dangerous dogs but nowadays lost dogs are the responsibility of the local Council and that’s what they’ll tell you.   They may take a note of your details and tell a finder where you are but this is at their discretion and possibly it depends on how busy they are.
• Check with the local Council – during weekdays and working hours the council employed Dog Wardens will pick up stray dogs and take them to their designated kennels.   (It’s us in this area)    They will also take a picture of the dog and check for a microchip number.   There aren’t any full time Dog Wardens any more, they are usually called Clean Street Operatives and picking up stray dogs is only one small part of their duties.    The information about each dog is put on the Lost Dog Register at the council offices.   A phone call to them and you’ll find out where your dog is and how you can get him back.
• Re-claiming fee – There’s a fee to pay to get your dog back.  This goes to cover the Dog Warden service.    If they didn’t pick them up  the dogs would be running around all over the place and might get knocked down.   The fees go up every day the dog is in the council kennels, so if you don’t claim him for a week you’ll have a hefty fine to pay.   Fetch the dog back as soon as possible – usually it’s only during working hours. You can pay at the council offices and they’ll give you a Dog Release Form that you can take to the kennels and you’ll be reunited with your pet.  Happy ending!
• Out of hours – If dog goes missing outside working hours, then the onus is on the finder to take him to the council kennels.   They’ll take him in, again, he’ll be photographed and checked for a microchip before he’s given his supper and a bed for the night.    Having checked with the council to find out where he is, you can usually pay the kennels direct.  You’ll get a Local Authority receipt when you go to fetch your dog.
• Who to ring when the council offices are closed?   Every council has a call centre, it’s called the Council Careline and they deal with a myriad of out of hours problems including stray dogs.   You ring the normal number and usually an asaphone message will tell you what to do when the office is closed.    Eventually you’ll speak to someone who will tell you who to contact out of hours about your dog.
• It’s all about areas – bear in mind that dogs are taken to council kennels in the area they are found – not where they live.   So at dog that has run a long way from home may be in a different council area and possibly in a kennels that is far away.
• Check with all the councils nearby – if you are having difficulty locating your dog, it’s best to ring every council within fifty miles.    Dogs are sometimes picked up by well-meaning people who continue their journey home before handing the dog in.   It happens.    We’ve had dogs who lived in Derby or the other side of Sheffield, brought here.   How can their owners ever find them if they don’t ring round?   We get them back to the proper area kennels as soon as we can but it does lead to some confusion.   Check everywhere.
• Paying the collection fee – This is paid to the council so it is no use going on at the kennels about the amount.   It’s a fixed fee according to how many days the  dog has been held and you should check with the council for methods of payment.
• Environmental health – is the department dealing with stray dogs and that’s who you will be put through to initially, then ask for the stray dog section.
• Safe and sound -although it’s been a worrying and costly time, at least your dog is safe and sound, pleased to see you and happy to be going home.
• Happy ending – Cooper finds his folks

This is Cooper who was so happy when he was reunited with his family.   Cooper came in to us as a stray, he was a lovely dog and we had a feeling there was someone out there looking for him.   It took several months of searching before we managed to find his people and Cooper went wild when he saw them again.   You didn’t think dogs can smile?   Just look at Cooper when he was back with his little girls.

‘I have sometimes thought of the final cause of dogs having such short lives, and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to the human race;  for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance of ten or twelve years, what would we do if they were to live double that time?’      Sir Walter Scott 1771-1832