Microchipping, stray and lost dogs

Stray Dogs

If you find a stray dog in North Devon district during office hours, please either return the dog to its owner - or contact us on 01271 388870.

If it is outside of office hours - and you cannot hold the dog until the office reopens - please contact our emergency out of hours service on 01271 388240 and further details will be provided on collecting the dog from you.

Please note that we can only attend to collect a dog if it is contained. We cannot respond to reports of roaming dogs out of hours.

Reclaiming a Stray Dog

If we are unable to contact the owner, the dog will be taken to Foredown Boarding Kennels in Kingskerswell. They can be contacted on 01803 872260. You will need to reclaim your dog within 7 days (see Rehoming a Stray Dog below).

You will need to pay the appropriate fees to the kennel before the dog is released. This is the fine for the dog straying plus all costs involved with the collection and care of the dog (see fees below).

Check in advance with the kennel whether they hold your dog and if they will be open at the time you want to pick the dog up:

Kennel is open daily 9am - 12:30pm and 1:30pm - 4:30pm (including weekends & bank holidays other than Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day)

You will need to take proof of identity with you and will be asked to sign a release form stating that you own the dog, or that you have the owner's consent to claim the animal. Details of the owner's name and address must be given. The release fee can be paid either in cash or by card.

Rehoming a Stray Dog

Once at the kennel the dog will need to be claimed within 7 days otherwise ownership of the dog transfers to us and the kennel will arrange for re-homing.

No dogs are put to sleep except for reasons of severe illness or aggressive behaviour, or where the dog cannot be rehomed due to banned status.

Lost dogs

If you have lost your dog, please phone us (during office hours on 01271 388870, or on 01271 388240 out of hours) - to see if the dog has been picked up by our dog warden. We post pictures of lost dogs on our Facebook page, so it's worth checking there too.

Please be aware, that once we have found the owner of a dog, the owner may be liable for fines, fees and charges – including :

statutory fine - £25
administration charge - £35
collection/return fee - £40
kennel charge for first 24 hours - £50
boarding (for each period of 24 hours or part there of) - based on kennel cost, minimum £25
any required veterinary costs, for example if the dog is injured or any other relevant fee - based on costs of veterinary treatment or similar

Every year, hundreds of dogs go missing from homes and gardens - it is really important to provide your dog with a collar & tag and an up-to-date microchip; this helps keep your dog safe and can help reunite you with your 'best friend'.

Collar & Tag

Any dog in a public place must wear a collar with the name and address (including postcode) of the owner engraved or written on it or engraved on a tag.

Microchipping

In April 2016, it became compulsory for every dog to have an up-to-date microchip.

A microchip is a small electronic chip, around the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted under the dog's skin and contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner. The dog owner's contact details relating to each number are logged on a central database, so should the dog ever go missing or be stolen it can be scanned by the authorities and returned to his owner swiftly and safely.

Dogs over eight weeks old must be microchipped and the details must be kept up to date. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog isn't microchipped. You can find lots of information about microchipping on the GOV.UK website.

Dogs in public places must also wear a collar and tag (Control of Dogs Order 1992), so that the owner can be found if it is lost or stray.

Watch our video to find out more.

If you move to a new house or change your phone number, make updating the details on your dog’s tag and chip a number one priority. It is also a legal requirement to keep these details up to date. If your details are not correct you could face a fine.

It’s simple to update the details for your dog’s microchip: you can do it online, by telephone or by post, depending on which database your chip is registered to. Charges for updating your chip details vary across the microchip databases. If you aren’t sure who your chip details are registered with, you can call any of the companies listed on our below and they will be able to tell you which company you need to contact:

UK Microchip Databases

Top tips for dog owners

Make sure your dog is microchipped - record the number and database name somewhere safe
Remember to update the database when your contact details change
Ensure your dog wears a collar and tag in public - postcode and phone number, not the name of the dog
Avoid leaving your dog tied up and unattended in public areas
Avoid letting your dog out unaccompanied
Ensure your garden and other areas are properly enclosed
Be aware of things that could 'spook' or scare your dog when off the lead
Report your dog lost soon as you know
Send us a photo and microchip number of your lost dog
Consider posting the loss on social media

Only use government approved microchip databases. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog is registered on a database that isn't recognised by the government. A list of the approved suppliers is on GOV.UK.