Do You Know What To DO If You Lose Your Dog Or Find A Stray?

Reccomendations From The Kennel Club

It is highly recommended that your dog is microchipped and registered with Petlog, the largest pet reunification scheme in the UK, as this can prove extremely effective in locating a lost pet. The Petlog Plus Lost and Found service can even alert local vets and dog wardens when an owner reports where their pet was lost. This can be done by telephone, SMS text message or via the Petlog website. However, it is vital to the effectiveness of this service that people keep their records up to date, informing Petlog of any change in circumstances. Contact Petlog on 0870 606 6751 or visit www.petlog.org.uk tofind out more.

Take a photograph of your dog so that you can

accurately describe it should it go missing. Up to date

photographs are also useful should you need to

create a “Lost Dog” poster. These posters can be

created on the Petlog website.

Take sensible precautions and never leave your dog

unattended in a public place.

Ensure all garden fencing and gates are secure.

When out walking locally with your dog,

get to know other dog walkers so

that you form a secure network

between you.

Under the Environmental

Protection Act 1990, dog

wardens are obliged to

seize stray dogs. The

police have discretionary

Do you know what to do if you lose your

dog or find a stray?

power to seize stray dogs under the Dogs Act 1906.

They are entitled to charge you fees before returning

the dog.

If either the dog warden or the police seize your dog,

they are only required to keep it for seven days

before legally being able to sell it, give it away or even

have it destroyed. Therefore, if your dog strays, you

should notify both the dog warden and the police

immediately.

If a member of the public finds a stray dog they must

return it to its owner, or take it to the local dog warden

or police station. If the finder wants to retain the dog,

this will probably be allowed provided they are

considered to be capable of looking after the dog and

they agree to keep it for at least 28 days. However,

the original owner could still have a claim for the dog's

return. Remember that it is illegal to take a found dog

into your home without reporting it to the police first.

Microchipping provides a permanent, inexpensive

form of identification that cannot be lost or altered.

The process is quick and painless and can help

ensure a happy reunion should the pet become lost

or stray. Microchips are no bigger than a grain of rice

and are inserted in the scruff of the pet’s neck. Each

microchip has a unique identification number that is

never duplicated.

Should your dog become lost or stray for any reason,

it is likely that it will be picked up by the dog warden

service, police or by one of the rescue organisations.

They are normally equipped with a special scanner,

which can read the pet's unique registration number,

which will enable them to find your details through the

Petlog database. The Petlog service is accessible 24

hours a day, 365 days of the year. They will then

contact you directly and reunite you with your pet.

If you are a Petlog Plus member, you should contact

Petlog immediately by text message, web or call

0870 606 6751. If you are a Petlog member,

contact Petlog immediately by telephone -

0870 606 6751.

Search your neighbourhood immediately, leaving the

description of your pet, your name and telephone

number with as many people as possible. Remember

to ask postmen, milkmen, your neighbours and

newspaper delivery staff if they have seen your pet.

Advertise in the ‘Lost’ section of your local newspaper

and be sure to read the ‘Found’ advertisements.

Call your vet, dog warden and police station. If you

believe that your pet has been stolen ensure that you

report this to the police and get a crime reference

number.

Visit your local welfare centre. Ensure you look into

each enclosure, as records may not always be

accurate.

Call radio stations that announce lost and found pets.

Visit 'Lost and Found' pet websites.

Make posters/flyers and lots of them! Place them on

street light poles, in pet shops, vets, supermarkets,

restaurants, grooming parlours, dog clubs, local

stores and post offices. For outdoor flyers you may

want to place them in plastic sheet protectors.

Take a photograph of your pet every few months to

ensure it will be recognisable on posters if it does

stray.

Dogs and cats are not always predictable and can

stray long distances. Look everywhere and tell

everyone.

Make sure you keep a record of some useful

numbers to call if you lose a pet, such as your local

welfare centre, vet, neighbour, dog warden, police

and, of course, Petlog – 0870 606 6751.

Local authorities have responsibility for dealing with

stray dogs and they are required to employ dog

wardens to collect any dog believed to be a stray. If a

stray dog is located outside office hours, it can be

taken to the local police station where it will usually be

held until the dog warden can be contacted.

If the animal is microchipped, the dog warden service

or police will have access to the Petlog database and

will search for the details so that they can return the

pet to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

The Environment Protection Act 1990 requires the

finder of a stray dog to return the dog to its owner, or

contact the local authority (dog warden service) to

report it and have it collected, or to take the dog to

the police station nearest to where the dog was

found. Remember that it is illegal to take a found dog

into your home without reporting it to the police first.

Visit www.the-kennel-club.org.uk to find out more.

Telephone 0870 606 6751 or visit www.petlog.org.uk