Stray dogs

In Runnymede there is no Dog Warden, but we have a contract with a Dog Collection Service who will collect and may deliver back lost and stray dogs that have been captured or tied up.

If you can

  • return the dog to its owner (if known, check collar)
  • if found in our Borough report via our Dog Collection Service by calling 01932 838383

Once our contractor is called, it maybe up to two hours until the dog is collected. 

Dangerous dogs must be reported to the Police. 

If a stray/lost dog is collected within office hours it is possible for it to be returned home without charge providing the dog has some identification on it and it has not strayed before. If the dog cannot be returned to its owner, it will be taken to kennels and the owner will be charged the appropriate fees when claimed.

Owners may incur a fine for found dogs that are not correctly identified by an up to date microchip

The Dog Collection Service are available by calling the number below.

Tel: 01932 838383 (during office hours) or email environmentalhealth@runnymede.gov.uk

You may want check with neighbouring councils in case your dog has strayed out of the Borough and been found elsewhere.

All costs must be settled before the dog can be collected by its owner.

  • £150 - collection charge

Upon collection of your dog, you may also be asked to pay for any other applicable fees for example kennelling, administrative or delivery costs.

Stray dog fees payment

You will have to provide identification and reasonable proof of ownership of the dog before the dog is released to you.

Dogs are kept for seven days. If the dog is not claimed in this time, the former owner loses all rights to its return.

Where a dog is not claimed within this seven-day period, it will be assessed and re-homed whenever possible.

We recommend that you get your dog microchipped by your vet. This involves putting a very small microchip under the skin of the dog. Putting the chip in place only takes a few seconds and is quite painless.

If the dog gets lost, it can be scanned electronically for the chip number and the owner contacted.

Since 2016 it is a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped.

It is a legal requirement under the Road Traffic Act (1988) for a dog to be kept on a lead when walking on a public road (subject to a few exceptions)

Under the Control of Dogs Order (1992) it is a legal requirement to have a collar on a dog with the owners name and address inscribed on the collar or on an attached plate/tag/badge when on a public highway or in a public place (subject to a few exceptions).

We encourage residents to

  • keep dogs on leads
  • keep a collar and tag on dogs
  • arrange for dogs to be microchipped
  • keep the information on tags and microchips up to date

Get in touch about environmental health

The quickest way to contact us is by using our online forms which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need to speak to us give us a call during office hours and talk to our Customer Services team who will be happy to help.

Environmental health related pages