Report a problem with a dog
We can provide support and advice relating to dogs. Our dog wardens can help with:
- noise nuisance caused by dogs
- incidents involving dogs
- lost and found dogs
- dog fouling
How to report it
Make sure you read the information below before submitting your report. Provide as many details as possible, including the address of the owner.
We cannot act on anonymous reports.
Aggressive dogs, dog welfare and housing association
Dogs behaving aggressively towards people or livestock should be reported to the police on 101 or 999 if it is an emergency.
Concerns about dog welfare should be reported to the RSPCA.
Complaints relating to a housing association property should be reported to the association.
Government update on XL Bully dogs – advice for owners
Following a concerning rise in attacks and fatalities caused by XL Bully dogs, the government has added this breed to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Find GOV.UK’s XL Bully dog page where you can:
- read guidance
- apply to keep an XL Bully dog
- give up an XL Bully dog to be euthanised
Noise nuisance caused by dogs
We investigate complaints of noise nuisance caused by dogs and help to resolve problems by providing advice.
Legal action can only be taken by us if the complaint is defined as a statutory nuisance by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Statutory nuisance includes:
- excessive noise that has a serious effect on people who living in neighbouring properties (disturbed sleep, disturbed peace)
- regular or fairly constant nuisance
- noise or smell affects your enjoyment of your property
Statutory nuisance complaints consider where you live and the time of day the incidents happen.
Incidents involving dogs
We can provide advice about incidents involving dogs and where appropriate take action under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Lost and found dogs
We have a duty to seize any dog found that is unaccompanied in a public place or on private property where it is not meant to be.
We can only come to collect dogs if they have been caught and contained.
If a stray dog is suspected to be a banned breed, we will arrange for it to be assessed before any action is taken.
What to do
If you find a stray dog, always try to contact the owner first using the information on their tag.
If you are unable to contact the owner, call us on 01454 868000 for information on where to take the dog.
Dog collection
We aim to respond to reports of found dogs between the following hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 8.45am to 4pm
- Friday: 8.45am to 3:30pm
For dogs found out of these hours and at times when the dog wardens are busy dealing with other cases, call us for advice.
There is no collection service for found dogs outside of our office hours.
Lost dogs
If you have lost your dog, report this to us on 01454 86 8000. If we have any information about your dog we will let you know.
Dogs we find
We keep dogs we find in kennels.
Owners can avoid the kennelling of their dogs and associated charges by making sure their dog is wearing an ID tag and their ID chip details are up to date.
If the dog has identification or you have told us it is missing, we will contact you.
If not, we will keep the dog in kennels for up to 7 days to give the owner the opportunity to contact us and arrange a time to collect it.
Charges
Our charges for kennelling your dog are:
- £91.10 per dog (seizure fee)
- £12.10 per dog per night kennelling charge
If your dog has an up-to-date microchip or tag clearly identifying the owner, there will be no charge for the first night in kennels.
You must bring some identification with you such as a driving licence or bill that shows your address.
Unclaimed dogs
If a dog is not claimed within 7 days or the charge is unpaid, we will find the dog a place in a rescue centre for rehoming. We never put dogs to sleep unless advised to by a vet.
Register of stray dogs
We keep a register of all stray dogs we seize. You can contact us to view this list.
If you cannot expand the sections above, try refreshing your browser.
Dog fouling
You can find more information on our dog fouling and bins page.