A dog which is in a public place and not under the control of a keeper is considered a stray. 

Stray dogs can cause accidents and / or injury, damage to property, worry livestock (for which an owner would be liable) and foul public places.

Dogs may stray for a variety of reasons:-

• home/garden not secure, doors, windows, gates left open, fence too low or poorly maintained
• the dog may be lonely or bored - certain breeds and young dogs in particular need to be occupied with plenty of exercise and games
• dogs may stray in order to mate: neutering is relatively simple these days and is recommended by all the major animal welfare organisations. It stops hormone activity, prevents certain types of cancer, but does not change the dog's personality or make it put on weight.

What service does the Council provide?

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Council has a responsibility to seize and take in stray dogs. Officers are responsible for collecting any stray dogs reported within Council operating hours 8:30am till 4:30pm. If telephoning outside office hours, after 4.30pm, at weekends or Bank Holidays, you will be redirected to our out of hours service which is a drop off only service at the licensed kennels.

All strays are collected and transferred to a licensed kennels where they will be safely looked after. Officers will contact owners, through information from dog tags or through micro chipchecking, to report their dog found and provide details for collection. If a dog is not claimed within seven days it becomes the property of the Council.  Every effort will be made to re-home the dog and checks of potential new owners are undertaken.

Reporting a stray dog

If you find a stray dog at anytime of the day and you cannot locate the owner you will need to contact Maldon District Council on 01621 854477. If telephoning outside office hours, after 4.30pm, at weekends or Bank Holidays, you will be redirected to our out of hours service.

To claim a stray dog the owner must;

• be able to prove ownership,
• pay the statutory fine of £25,
• pay any costs incurred, including administration fee £21 if found with a tag or chipped / £26 if no tag or chip, vet bills and kennelling (our kennelling fees are currently £9.51 per day).

Dog owners are required by law to ensure their dog has a collar and tag.

Rehoming Dogs

Occasionally we may have a dog that needs rehoming. If you are in a position to give a stray dog a home please contact us 01621 854477.