Stray Animals

The Council has a legal duty to deal with stray animals.

Dogs

North Shropshire District Council ('The Council') has a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 149 to collect and detain stray dogs.

The Council also has the power to dispose of the dogs if they remain unclaimed.

When dealing with stray dogs we will take into account the relevant provisions of:

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996
The Control of Dogs Order 1992

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec 150 requires the finder of of a stray dog to:

Return the dog to its owner; or
contact the local authority for the area in which the dog was found; or
take the dog to the police station nearest to where the dog was found.

If the finder fails to take one of these courses of action, he will have commited an offence and would be liable, upon conviction, to a fine.

If the finder requests to keep the dog, he must supply the officer with his contact details and details of the dog. The officer is required to keep a record of these details.

Regulations require that the officer makes appropriate enquiries to ascertain that the finder is a suitable person to keep the dog.

The finder must then be informed verbally and in writing that he is obliged to keep the dog (if unclaimed by the owner) for not less than one month and that failure to comply with that obligation is a criminal offence.

Stray Dogs

We provide a 24 hour a day service for the collection of stray dogs. The dogs are taken to Grinshill Animal Rescue Centre and, if claimed within 7 days, are released on payment of any necessary veterinary charges incurred. A charge of £25 is also made for the second and subsequent times the dog has strayed.

Promoting Responsible Dog Ownership

The Dog Warden will give talks to schools, private clubs and organisations and attends shows and fetes to promote responsible dog ownership. Information leaflets can also be provided.

A dog's guide to a healthy life

Register of Stray Dogs

We maintain a public register of all stray dogs seized.

Dog Fouling Bye-laws ('poop scoop')

We enforce dog-fouling bye-laws which we have introduced. These prohibit any fouling on roads and requires dog owners to clean up after their dogs on pavements, verges and certain recreational areas. Dog faeces bins are provided for owners to dispose of the waste. These are emptied twice a week between April and October and once a week at other times.

Your guide to dog fouling and the law in the North Shropshire district