We recognise what a worrying time it can be so we have provided this web site to help you.

What Should I Do ?

Contact Your Local Authority : Local Councils are now solely responsible for providing a found dog service in their area and should be your first point of reference. They hold a register of all dogs collected in their area however be aware that although they may collect found dogs out of hours, you may only be able to speak with them directly during normal business hours.

Contact Neighbouring Local Authorities : It is always advisable to contact neighbouring Councils as well, just in case your dog has wandered outside your Council boundary.

Check Out Your Council’s Web Site : There will be useful information relevant to your local area and there possibly a gallery with details and or photographs of found dogs for you to check ,or even a link to this site.

Contact Lost dog charities : There are a number of organisations set up to help dog owners find their pets, some of whom operate national data bases. This is an excellent way to ensure that details of your dog are circulated as widely as possible and that you benefit from their extensive experience in re-uniting dogs with owners. We have provided links to some of these organisations for you.

My dog has a collar and tag and or has a micro chipped implant ?

There is a duty on your Council where they can identify an owner of a dog that comes into their care, to advise them, this is usually done by registered post to the address on the tag, or held by the microchip data base company. You should also expect a phone call where a valid telephone number is present.

Please remember that collars can become detached, information on tags can fade and micro-chips can migrate and may not always be found initially, so do not rely on this as a way of getting your dog back and fail to report your dog missing.

Should I act quickly ?

Yes you should act quickly as found dogs are only required to be held for seven days in Local Authority care commencing from the date of collection. After this period title and ownership transfers to the Council and your dog could then be legally re-homed.

If your Council does not display pictures of found dogs on their web site for you to check against, we recommend that you contact Local Council/s at least twice a week for the first two weeks and then at least weekly thereafter to check if your dog has been found, do not give up hope as dogs can and do turn up weeks or even months after being lost.

Many Councils keep records of lost dogs reported to them and try and match these against any dogs that may later come into their care. Descriptions of the same dog can vary widely from person to person so please be as accurate as you can when giving details and we recommend that you continue to make personal contact, as suggested above, to give yourself the best chance of being re-united with your pet.

How much does it cost to get my dog back ?

Local Authorities are required to recover reasonable costs for the provision of this service and most have their own set of scale fees, full details of which will be on the Council web site.

You will almost certainly need to meet all kennelling fees incurred in looking after your dog which normally accrue daily, plus any Veterinary fees if applicable.

There is a statutory fee of £25.00 and your Council may impose further administrative and operational fees. Where dogs are delivered back to owners there may also be a further charge.

Many Councils may require these fees to be paid prior to releasing your dog, others may be prepared to invoice you, again check your Council web site or contact them directly.