Report a stray dog

If you find a stray dog, the law says you must either:

• return the dog to its owner, if the dog can be identified by an ID tag and you are able to return the dog, and it is safe to do so
• contact us using the report a stray dog form and we will arrange collection of the dog
• you can also take the dog to a local vet and ask them to check to see if the dog has a microchip.

Report a stray dog

Any dog that is out on its own is classed as a stray dog. Any dog that is unsupervised in a public place may be taken by us, or the owner may be served with a fixed penalty notice if the dog is deemed to be causing a nuisance or is not on a lead in a public place or on the highway.

We provide a stray dog collection service Monday to Friday 8.45am to 5pm. If you find a stray dog during these hours, please report this to us.

We will respond to reports of stray dogs as soon as possible.

If you find a dog outside of office hours, you can ring 01257 543083. This will direct you through to the out of hours contact centre or if possible, keep the dog until the next working day when we will come and collect it.

When a stray dog is collected by us, we will do our best to return the dog to their owner providing the microchip details are correct, if not, the dog will be taken to our contracted kennels.

A dog will be kept for 7 days, after which time it becomes the property of Chorley Council. The dog is then transferred to one of the dog charities who assist us in finding a suitable home.

Collecting your dog from the kennels

When collecting your dog from the kennels there will be an £80 fee plus any kennelling, transport or veterinary fees, this will need to be paid directly to the kennels before the dog is returned to you.

If your dog is not microchipped or the details are incorrect you will be served with a notice instructing you to do this within 21 days. This was made law in 2016 and failure to carry out this instruction will result in an immediate fine.

Re-homing an unwanted dog

Please note not we do not offer a re-homing service. If this is something you are considering, then you can contact various centres such as the Dogs Trust, RSPCA or local charities who may be able assist you.

Dog attacks

If your dog or cat is attacked by another dog, then this should be reported to us by email to contact@chorley.gov.uk.

If you have been bitten by a dog, then this should be reported to the police.