Advice on what to do if you find a stray dog

North East Lincolnshire Council is changing the way it deals with stray dogs.

From Monday 2 May, people who find a stray dog will no longer be able to drop it off at the Council’s Doughty Road Depot.

What can I do if I find a stray dog?

• Let people know you’ve found a missing dog via community websites, local news and social media sites. Using local knowledge and contacts is usually the simplest way to re-unite a dog with its owner.
• If an owner cannot be found, take the dog to Sangreat Kennels, Scawby, Brigg, DN20 9AA. Open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays (except Christmas Day). Please ring the kennels beforehand on 01652 652453 to check if they can take the dog.
• Alternatively, call 01472 326300 during office hours and arrange for an officer to collect the dog. If late in the day or after office hours, this will be the next working day.

A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said:

“The simplest way to re-unite a dog with its owner, is through local knowledge, contacts and social media. We are grateful to residents for taking steps to find dog owners in their communities first as this prevents the need for the animal to travel, which can be quite stressful for them.

“Where people need help, we do all we can to try and trace the owners and reunite them with the dogs we collect. If owners have followed their legal duty to chip their pet and kept the address details up to date, this is often a quick process.

“We are no longer accepting lost or stray dogs at our Doughty Road Depot or keeping them overnight . Where owners cannot be contacted, dogs are transferred into the care of Sangreat Kennels who have purpose-built facilities for them and can provide 24-hour supervision.”

Stray dogs

All dog owners are legally required to chip their pet and keep address details up to date. When owners take these steps, dogs can nearly always be re-united with their owners quickly. Most vets, Blue Cross, RSPCA and the Council will have pet chip readers to identify dog owners.

The Council can’t deal with stray dogs that are not contained or secured. If you have concerns about a dog’s welfare, please contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234999. Dangerous dogs can be reported to Humberside Police on 101.

Fees

Owners collecting their dog will be charged a fee which must be paid before the dog is released. It costs £75 if the stray dog is reunited with its owner from the Doughty Road Depot (including statutory fee) or £115 if a stray dog taken to contracted kennels by officers (including statutory fee).

Reporting lost dogs

To report your dog as lost, please complete the Council’s Lost dogs online form on the Stray and Lost Dogs section of its website, www.nelincs.gov.uk/keeping-our-area-clean-and-safe/stray-lost-dogs/.

An officer will take details of your dog and contact you if the animal been found and brought to our kennels. Please also check the Sangreat Kennels website for details of animals already in their care.