Advice for lost, found and stray dogs.
What do I do if I’ve lost my dog?
If you have lost your dog it is a very scary time and you will want to do everything you can to find and bring them home. Here is a guide to start you off :-
- Contact your local authority, the police and the dog warden.
- Contact the microchip company your dog is registered with and make them aware that your dog is missing.
- Contact local kennels, rehoming centres and veterinary practices.
- Contact local “dog lost” organisation and these are normally found on social media, such as Facebook.
- Contact the national Dog Lost website and ensure your dog is featured on there.
- Noticeboards, registers and social media - Ask your local supermarket, shops, libraries, newsagents if you can put a lost dog poster on their noticeboard. Contact local dog walkers in your area. Ask them to keep an eye out for your dog, and to contact you if they spot them. Social media is free and can be very effective. Post clear photos, descriptions and your contact details to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. so that your friends and followers can join the search. There are Facebook groups devoted to helping lost dogs be reunited with their owners, so be sure to post in those and search for any found dogs that could be yours.
- Local Areas and Buildings
- Visit places where you usually walk your dog. They may have just decided to walk themselves and could be sticking to familiar places. If you have moved house recently, ask around at your previous address, and inform your neighbours how to contact you if they spot your dog. If there are any building sites or workers in your area, ask around in case your dog has become trapped somewhere on site.
- If you think your dog has been stolen, call the police. Every dog has the potential to stray or be stolen.
UK Microchip Company details are as follows:
- Identibase – 01904487600
- Pet Identity UK – 0800 9751960
- PetLog – 01296 336579
- PETtrac – 0800 652 8977
- SmartTrace – 01208 420999
- National Veterinary Database – 0330 123 9924
- Protected Pet – 0844 414 2262
- Animal Tracker – 01279 219777
This should not be considered an exhaustive list as new companies frequently enter the market place.
What do I do if I’ve found a dog?
The dog you have found could be a much loved pet but never hand over a dog to anybody unless you see proof of ownership.
Check their collar for a tag
If possible check to see if the dog has any identification on its collar. By law a dog should be earing a collar with identification but not all are. If the dog is wearing some ID with contact details then get in touch with the owner straight away and arrange a place to meet them with the dog.
Contact the local dog warden
If the dog isn’t wearing any ID, of if you can’t safely get close to them to check, then you’ll need to contact the dog warden at your local authority. Contact them immediately and arrange for them to collect the dog. They will ensure the dog’s microchip is scanned and make every effort to return the dog to their owner. Your local vets or rehoming organisations can’t take strays directly off the street or from well-meaning members of the public except under certain emergency situations.
What if I want to look after the dog in my home, instead of contacting the dog warden?
If you cannot identify the owner yourself, and you decide to take the dog home temporarily, then by law, you must inform your local dog warden. The authorities can then take up responsibility for finding their owner. This is likely to be better for the dog and their owners for a number of reasons. They can deal directly with any owners who have lost their dog, and decide whether the description matches the dog they have. The local authority kennel will also be able to scan the dog’s microchip to see if it has current registered owners. By keeping the dog, you could also become emotionally attached to them, then handing the dog back to the owner can be very traumatic. If the owner reclaims the dog through the dog warden, this will enable the dog warden to discuss the responsibilities of dog ownership, give advice on identification and follow up the case if necessary. The loss of a dog often causes great distress to the owner. So it’s best to hand the dog over to the dog warden as soon as possible. That will give the owner the greatest chance of being reunited with their much-loved companion.
What if I would like to adopt the dog?
Even if you are keen to adopt the dog, you will have to contact the dog warden and wait the seven days period (five days in Northern Ireland) to see if their owner comes to collect them. The dog warden can then pass on your details to the kennels. If they feel you are suitable you will be expected to go through their normal adoption criteria for transfer of ownership if the owner is not found. If you keep the dog in your home, you must inform the dog warden. You are then obliged by law to keep the dog for a period of 28 days. After this period, you can keep the dog until such time that a person with proof of ownership claims them. This means that legal ownership is not transferred to you, and the original owner may demand the dog back at any time, no matter how long you have kept them or how much money you have spent, including any vet fees. As mentioned in the section above, it’s best not to keep the dog in your home, to avoid getting emotionally attached to them.
Act quickly to help reunite the dog with their owner
If you find a dog that appears to be a stray, it’s important to act swiftly to help them get back to their owner, if they have one. If you can’t locate the owner quickly (ie by using the collar ID) then it’s best to let your local dog warden know as soon as possible. They have the best chance of reuniting the dog with their owner.
