Dog warden and stray dogs

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Dog warden

The dog warden will help you if you lose your dog, and aims to help prevent stray dogs from being a danger in traffic or a nuisance to people.

I have found a stray dog during office hours, what do I do now?

If you have found a stray dog and it has no identification showing the owners details please contact your local council office.

Before calling us please note down some details about the dog which you can relay to us over the phone, This helps us to make an accurate recording of the dog and allows us to match up the dog if its owners contacts us. Please include details such as:

• The breed of the dog (if you are not sure, how big is it and what does it look like?)
• Is the dog male or female?
• What colour is the dog?
• Is the dog wearing a collar? If so what colour is it?
• Has the dog got any distinguishing features? (e.g. any scars? A docked tail?)
• What condition is the dog in?
• Where and when you found the dog?

Your local dog warden will then be notified that you have found a dog and will get in touch to arrange collection. Please be patient as our dog wardens are working all over the county and could be some distance from you, they will however aim to get to you as soon as they can.

Once collected the dog will then be transported to one of our holding kennels where it will stay until either the owners come forward  or until the dog has done seven days in our care, after which a new home will be sought for the dog. In order to claim the dog the owner will be required to pay a fee of £25 (a statutory charge under the Environmental Protection Act 1990) as well as any other costs incurred before the animal will be released to them.

What if I find a dog out of office hours?

Our out of hours telephone number is 0845 056 8035 (weekends, public holidays and out of office hours).

Our out of hours service will log your call and the details that you have given them, they will then pass on the information regarding kennelling of the dog. It may be necessary for the finder to deliver any found dog to one of our out of hours reception centres; you will be notified if this is the case.

If you are able to care for the dog over the out of hours period your local dog warden will be able to collect the dog on the next working day. If you decide to do this, please do still call our out of hours service and log this with them as they may get a call from the owners who are looking for the dog. On the next working day please give Wiltshire Council a call and your local dog warden will make it a priority to collect the dog from you.

What if I have lost my dog?

If you have lost your dog please contact us.

We will need a description of the animal, your contact details and where you lost your dog. It may also be worthwhile calling your local veterinary practices and animal rescue centres as these may be someone’s first port of call when finding a dog.

In order to claim a dog that has been taken to our holding kennels the owner will be required to pay a fee of £25 (a statutory charge under the Environmental Protection Act 1990) as well as any other costs incurred before the animal will be released to them.

For more information on how to be a responsible dog owner, visit the DEFRA website.

Last updated: 3 February 2011