Under the provisions of section 149 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 any dog found in a public place or on any other land or premises within the District may be seized and detained by an authorised Officer of the Council where there is reason to believe that the dog is a stray. The Council’s Dog Wardens are authorised to discharge this function on behalf of the Council.
To make enquiries about stray dogs during normal office hours please contact Environmental and Community Health Services on 01480 388302. The office is open Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. The owner of a stray dog that has been detained by the Council will have to pay the £25 statutory charge plus the Council’s administrative and kennelling costs before the dog is released from detention. If a stray dog is ill or injured when seized or handed to the Council and requires emergency veterinary treatment, such costs will also be reclaimed from the owner.
Our administrative staff will advise on outstanding charges, how the debt can be settled and how to reclaim a stray dog after payment has been made. The details of all dogs seized or handed to the Council are entered into a register that is held at the Council Offices during normal office hours. At weekends the register is held at Huntingdon Leisure Centre, St Peter’s Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 7DA, Tel: 01480 388600. The duty Leisure Centre staff can advise if the details of a particular dog have been entered in the register. They can also advise on outstanding charges, accept payments and provide instructions as to how to reclaim a stray dog when payment has been made.
If a stray dog is unclaimed after seven clear days the owner loses legal claim to the dog and it will either be re-homed or passed to an establishment for the reception and care of stray dogs.
New Arrangements from April 2008
The law regarding stray dogs changed on 6 April 2008 when section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 came into force. This removed the duty of the police to seize stray dogs or to accept any stray dogs brought to them. From that date local authorities are solely responsible for discharging all stray dog functions while the police retain their duties with regard to dangerous dogs and dogs found to be worrying livestock.
Under the new arrangements the Council must provide a service for dealing with stray dogs during normal office hours and an acceptance point where stray dogs can be taken outside normal office hours. This is the extent of the new duty on the Council, it does not have to provide a round-the-`clock call out service.
From 6 April 2008 the new arrangements in Huntingdonshire are as follows:
If you have found a stray dog in Huntingdonshire outside normal office hours you may hold the dog in your possession overnight and contact the Council the next working day. Alternatively, you may take the dog to Huntingdon Police Station with whom the Council has reached an agreement for them to accept stray dogs outside normal office hours on behalf of the Council until alternative arrangements can be made.
The police will keep stray dogs in their kennels until they are claimed by their owners or are removed by the Council. If you wish to enquire about a stray dog that may have been handed in outside normal office hours then you should contact the police on 0845 456 4564.
If you claim ownership of a stray dog from the police they will require evidence of ownership and will record your name and address. These details will be attached to the dog’s kennelling record and will be supplied to the Council. The police will also charge a fee for the release of a stray dog from their custody and this consists of the £25 statutory charge plus costs to cover administration, transport and kennelling as necessary.