Stray dogs

What is classed as a stray?

If a dog is allowed out in a public place and is not under the handler's direct control, i.e. on a lead or under the close control of the handler, it is classed as a stray and could be collected by the Council's Collection Service.

Please look after your dog carefully, you should not let it out, even if it is only for a short time. A stray dog can be a danger to itself and others and risks collection by the Council's Collection Service. Persistent offenders also risk increased reclamation fees and/or prosecution.

How to report a stray dog

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 each local authority has an obligation to pick up stray dogs. Should you find a stray dog, by law this must be reported to the Council.

You can report a stray dog during office hours (between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday) by calling the Council on 01695 577 177. If you find a stray dog outside of these hours, our contractor NDTC Ltd on 07376 280 843 will be able to collect the dog between 5pm to 9pm, Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. Please note that NDTC will only collect a stray dog if it has been secured.

All stray dogs are taken to Cheshire Dogs Home, 225 Knutsford Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, WA4 3JZ. They can be contacted on 0300 102 1212 to arrange collection.

To reclaim their dog, owners must pay a reclaim fee in full before the dog will be released, this is to be paid to Cheshire Dogs home when collecting your dog.

Fees are currently as follows.

£55 for the 1^st 24 hours, increasing £10 every 24 hours up to a maximum of £100 per dog.

Repeated strays may be liable to an increased fee of £130.

After 7 days, the dog becomes the property of Cheshire Dogs Home, who will assess the suitability of the dog for rehoming.

Please note the Council can only deal with dogs that are straying within West Lancashire. If you have found a stray dog in a different area you will need to contact the correct local authority:

Please provide as much information as possible to help the Council's Collection Service, such as:

Location of the dog
Description of the dog - breed, size and colour
Date and time when the dog was seen
Was the dog injured or in danger e.g. roaming near a busy road
Was the dog showing any signs of aggression
Any information regarding the dog's owner

If you are unable to provide this information, it will reduce our chances of finding the dog, and we will endeavour to find the animal as part of our routine patrols.

Data protection is important to us. Information on how we handle and protect your data including our Corporate Privacy Policy can be found here.