Environment
Animal Welfare
Reporting a stray or lost dog
Owners have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control and not to allow them to stray. During office hours the council provides a stray dog collection service . If you find a stray dog outside of office hours you can take it to a reception centre, see details below.
If you find or lose a dog you can use the online form below to report it to us:
If you have lost your dog you can also report it to us:
Alternatively, call 01491 823203 or email env.health@southoxon.gov.uk
If you find a stray dog outside our normal office hours of Monday-Thursday 08.30-17.00 and Friday 08.30 – 16.30 hours, if possible you should keep the dog until the next working day, when you can contact Environmental Services to collect the dog. If this is not possible you can call the council’s emergency number 01491 824033 to be put through to an emergency call centre.
What happens after I report a stray dog?
During office hours the council’s stray dog warden service can collect the dog and, if the owner cannot be located, it will be taken to kennels.
Outside office hours, if you are unable to keep the dog until the next working day and you call the council’s emergency number, the call centre will log your call and give you directions to a reception centre in Steventon, near Abingdon to which you may take the dog. The reception centre is open to receive dogs between the hours of 17.00-21.00 Monday-Friday, and 09.00-21.00 Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays. Please note that the kennels will not accept stray dogs that have not been logged by the call centre.
The dog will be kept in kennels for seven days. If at the end of this period the dog has not been claimed, the kennels will try to re-home it. Dogs found to be regularly straying will automatically be taken to kennels and the owner, if known, will be informed. When a dog is claimed, the owner must pay a fee of £54 (including £25 statutory fee) and any kennelling costs incurred, before the dog can be released. Kennelling is charged at £9.00 per day.
The council picks up approximately 140 stray dogs a year with the majority being claimed by their rightful owners. Stray dogs are a nuisance and can cause accidents and damage, for which the owner may be liable.
Other animal welfare issues
Dangerous Dogs
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 makes it an offence for a dog owner, or person in charge of a dog, to allow their dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. If whilst out of control the dog injures any person this may constitute an aggravated offence. If a dog is, or appears to be, dangerously out of control in a public place then contact Thames Valley Police on 0845 8505 505 or the council on 01491 823202.
Dog barking
Dog barking can be a noise nuisance. The council will investigate all such complaints received from its residents. Further information on barking dogs.
Dog bins and dog fouling
Information on dog bins and dog fouling.
Animal welfare and licensing
- Dog breeding establishments
- Pet shops
- Animal boarding establishments
- Dangerous wild animals and zoos
- Performing animals
Other useful animal welfare related links
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