Stray dogs

If you have lost your dog you can contact us on 01427 676676 to see if we have had a report of the dog being found. We can also put you in touch with the contracted kennels to see if they have picked it up, or if anyone has taken it directly there. This increases the chances of being quickly reunited.

If you find a dog you must contact us on 01427 676676.  When a dog has been found we can arrange for the contracted kennels to collect the dog within office hours (08:30 – 17:00), or the finder can take the dog to the kennels. It is also useful, if possible, to take the dog to a vets where they can check for a microchip and attempt to contact the owner.

Lincolnshire Police will no longer accept stray dogs found by members of the public and will only deal with dangerous dogs.

Anyone finding a stray dog after 17:00 and before 08:30 can ring our Out of Hours number on 01427 613960. The dog will need to be taken to the kennels (which will accept dogs from 08:00 up to 22:00 Monday to Saturday, including Bank Holidays). Alternatively, if the finder can keep it safe for the night, we can arrange for the dog to be collected the next working day

Dogs can be reclaimed from kennels between 08:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday, 10:30 – 17:00 Saturday and 08:00 – 12:00 Sunday. Please note there will be a fee to pay.

If a member of the public takes personal responsibility for the dog, they must by law do the following things:

• Return the dog to its owner if they can be identified
• Contact the local authority to arrange collection, or get directions to the contract kennels
• With the written permission of the local authority, keep the dog for a minimum of 28 days (even if you adopt the dog, the legal ownership of the dog is never transferred to you)

Microchipping

From 06 April 2016 The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015 requires all dogs to be microchipped and registered on an approved database by 8 weeks of age. It is also a requirement to ensure the details held on the database are kept up to date - so if you move house, change your phone number, change the dog's name or transfer ownership (rehome the dog) you must inform the database that the microchip is registered with. If you are not sure who the chip is registered with, you can 'look up a microchip' at Petlog.

If a puppy is bought from a breeder, it is the breeder’s responsibility (as the current owner/keeper) to have the dog microchipped (likewise for anyone selling a puppy/dog) but remember to update the database of the new keeper's details.

Doing these things means you can be reunited if your dog is found straying and improve the chance of being reunited if your dog is missing.

Microchippers must be LANTRA trained – vets and rescue centres will usually provide this service. Some catteries/kennels may too, but please check they are qualified.

If dogs are brought to WLDC they are scanned for a chip. If there is one, we check it against the database and will ring the number listed. If there is no chip or the owner cannot be contacted Lincolnshire Rescue Kennels (LRK) who provide our dog warden service will collect the dog and board them. Please note there will be a fee to reclaim the dog if it goes to kennels.

Owners will be served a Notice if their dog is not microchipped, requiring them to have the dog chipped within 21 days. Failure to comply with this leaves owners liable to a £500 fine - so it is more cost effective to just get it done!

Stray dogs which are not claimed within 7 days are put up for rehoming – if you would like to give a stray dog a new home please contact Lincolnshire Rescue Kennels.

Dog identification

West Lindsey provides a service over the whole district for all aspects of “dog control” except dangerous dogs. Stray dogs are, where possible returned to their owners in the first instance, but persistent strays are impounded.

Not only is it illegal for your dog not to have an identity tag, but also it’s impossible for the kennels to return it to you if it is seized. Having your dog seized and impounded is an expensive and upsetting problem that can usually be avoided.

Dog fouling

Dog mess is unpleasant and there is no excuse for not cleaning up after your pet. There are dog “Poop-Scoop” bins throughout the district so everyone has access to a clean hygienic way of disposing of their dog’s waste.

Report a dog fouling problem

Dangerous dogs

Lincolnshire Police are responsible for dealing with dangerous dogs. If you are concerned about a dog behaving dangerously, please report it by telephone to 101.