FOUND A STRAY DOG

If you spot a loose stray dog, but have not been able to contain it, please see our Sighted Only: A Loose Dog  page for more information.

If you find a stray dog, please take it to a local vets, who can check it for a microchip. For a list of vets in the area and for those who offer an out of hours service, see our Vets page. 

Surrey Heath Borough Council no longer offers a full Dog Warden service. Instead they use a contractor, who operates a Dog Collection service for contained dogs only. This means that you must have caught and contained the dog in a building, garden or enclosure, before they can attend. 

Contrary to what you may have heard, the contractors who supply our service in Surrey Heath are caring dog lovers and will collect and look after the dog while an owner is found.

If no owner comes forward and once any microchip details have been investigated fully, there is a seven day legal waiting period, before the dog is passed to a reputable rescue centre for rehoming. The dog WILL NOT be put to sleep. 

It is a legal requirement to notify the Dog Warden/Dog Collection service on 01276 707100 (01276 707182 Out of Hours) that you have found a dog, as soon as possible. 

It is inadvisable to keep a stray dog overnight, if an owner cannot be found immediately, without informing the Dog Collection team.

You cannot legally keep a stray dog as this is classed as "theft by finding".

Notify Local Vets

Do contact all vets local to where the dog was found, as an owner may already have let them know it is missing.  You can find a list of vets in the Borough and contact details on our Vets page.

Register on DogLost

You can register any found stray dog for free at www.doglost.co.uk

Once registered with a photo, the site will email all local Dog Lost Volunteers with the details and you will be able to share the link via social media.

Facebook and Social Media

You can post details of any found dog on local social media sites, along with photos. However, please be very cautious about handing over a stray pet to anyone who comes forward to claim it, without making certain it actually belongs to them first. You can ask them to show you photos of their pet, or to inform you of distinguishing marks, before arranging to hand it over.

If in any doubt, it is best to ask the Dog Collection service to collect direct from you and they can deal with any claims of ownership. 

Further afield

If you come across a stray dog, over the border from Surrey Heath, you can find contact details for the relevant Dog Warden/Dog Collection service using our Contact List.