Arun

Found a stray dog?

If you find a stray dog you should return it to its owner, or contact Arun’s Dog Warden Service during working hours, giving details of: the dog, where it was found and your contact details.

Arun’s Dog Warden Service (01903 737755) will collect stray dogs reported during office hours, when the Dog Warden is available, and temporarily hold the dogs in kennels. The dog will be safe and well cared for by expert staff and will be returned to the owner as soon as possible after a claim.

At weekends, and in the evenings up to 7.00pm, and at times when the Dog Warden is not on duty stray dogs may be taken to New Carleton Kennels, Ford.  Please call the kennels on 01903 883116, prior to taking the dog.

After 7.00pm, until 9.00am the following morning, finders are asked to contact the Council’s standby service on 01903 713976. You will be put in contact with a veterinary hospital in Bognor Regis, which will receive stray dogs on our behalf . Alternatively finders can keep the dog, and may be able to arrange collection next day.

Lost a stray dog?

If you have lost a dog you can report it to us, during office hours, on 01903 737755. We will record the details in case it is found and reported to us. Let us have a description and when and where it was lost.

Stray dogs will usually be kept at New Carleton Kennels, Ford. You can contact the kennels direct on 01903 883116 and dogs can be claimed between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Saturday, and between 9.00am and 1.00pm on Sunday . Dogs can only be collected from the kennels during these hours. Dogs will only be released after payment of a charge, which must be paid by guaranteed cheque or cash.

Stray dogs are a serious problem; they can cause road accidents and may harass members of the public. In addition, there is no control over where they foul.  Arun District Council has a legal duty to deal with any dog found straying in the district.  The keeper of a dog is legally responsible for allowing it to stray, regardless of how it escaped. 

A Guidance leaflet on how to prevent your dog from straying  is available.

The Council’s Powers to Collect Strays and Charge for Their Return.

Where the Council has reason to believe that any dog is a stray, we are obliged to seize the dog and detain it. If the owner/keeper of the dog can be identified, an attempt will be made to contact or return it directly to that person (provided that they have not had a dog stray before). Where the dog cannot be directly returned, it will be taken to kennels provided on behalf of the Council.  Although attempts will be made to trace the owner, the Council has no duty to do so unless the dog wears a collar and tag, with the owner’s name and address on it.  Dogs are routinely scanned for microchips, although we are under no obligation to do so, and cannot guarantee that all microchips will be detected.  The onus is on the owner to claim the dog.

A charge will be made before a dog is returned to its owner/keeper and this will increase for each day that the dog is kept in kennels.  A person is not entitled to have their dog returned until they have paid this charge. It includes the expenses of collecting, transporting and, if appropriate, kennelling the stray dog, plus a set fee of £25 which the Council can charge by law.

(Environmental Protection Act, 1990 - Section 149

& Environmental Protection (Stray Dogs) Regulations, 1992)

The Council has to keep the stray dog for seven days.  After this time, if it has not been claimed, or if the charges have not been paid, the dog can be disposed of. On the rare occasions that this happens, the dog is usually found a new home through animal rescue organisations, but it may be humanely destroyed if no home can be found.

 Collar and Tag Requirements

All dogs, with a few minor exceptions, whilst in a highway or public place, must wear a collar, with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar, or on a tag attached to it.  Maximum penalty for non-compliance is £5,000.

(Control of Dogs Order, 1992)

Microchipping

We encourage the use of microchips to assist in the identification of dogs. We always scan strays to see if they are chipped.

Veterinary surgeries and other agencies are able to provide a microchipping service. For more information on microchipping and responsible dog ownership see the Dogs Trust website