Animals - stray

Stray dogs

Information on how to report and what happens to stray animals.

How do I report a stray dog?

We have a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 149 to collect and detain stray dogs. We also have the power to dispose of the dogs if they remain unclaimed (by re-homing, relocating etc).

During office hours (between 8:00 to 18:00 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 9:00 to 18:00 Wednesday) please contact  0121 704 8000 or use the online form attached on the right.

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

• Return the dog to the owner, or
• Request that the Council's Dog Warden to collect it,
• You can take the dog directly to Birmingham Dogs Home. You will need a Solihull Council stray dog reference number which can be obtained from the number above. We will need to advise the dogs home of your intentions.

If you find a stray dog out of hours, you should do one of the following:

• Keep the animal until the next working day and request the Council's Dog Warden to collect it.
• If this is not possible, there is a facility to which dogs can be taken out of hours. (There is no out of hours collection service). To contact the out of hours facility telephone 0121 704 8000 and listen to the recorded message. The facility is available as follows:
  Monday - Friday 6.00am to 8.00am and 4.00pm to 11.00pm
  Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 6.00am to 11.00pm.

What happens to stray dogs?

• Stray dogs can be a danger for many reasons, for example, they could cause a serious road accident or bite a child.
• If the dog is wearing a collar and tag with the name and address of the owner, if appropriate, the dog will be returned to the owner.
• If the owner of the dog is not known then the dog will be taken to the Council's holding kennels where it will be kept for a period of seven days. If in the meantime the owner of the dog wishes to reclaim their dog they are obliged to pay a fine plus the kennel charges incurred.
• If the dog is unclaimed after seven days then every attempt is made to re home it.

Can I keep a stray dog?

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.

What are the relevant provisions when dealing with stray dogs?

• the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
• the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996
• the Control of Dogs Order 1992
• the Protection of Animals Act 1911
• the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960
• any other relevant legislation