Stray and lost dogs
A dog warden service is provided by the Council's partner
company, Suffolk Coastal Services.
Suffolk Coastal Services collects stray and lost dogs and takes
them to kennels to await collection by their owners. The minimum
charge to release a dog is £75. There is a further charge for each
day the dog is kept and all charges must be paid before the dog can
be collected.
Dogs will be kept for a maximum of seven full days, after
seizure or service of a statutory notice, whichever is the latest.
Unclaimed dogs are usually offered for rehoming. A list of
fees for the release of stray and lost dogs is given towards the
bottom of this page.
If you have lost your dog you can contact Suffolk Coastal
Services on 01394 444000 or email
scsltd@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
and they will check their records to see whether it has been
collected and taken to a kennel.
Dangerous dogs
If a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place or
injures someone, it may be possible to take action under the
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. In an emergency, please contact the police
by dialling 999, otherwise you can contact them on
01473 613500.
Alternatively, you can discuss the problem with the dog warden
by calling 01394 444000 during office hours.
What to do if you find a stray dog
If you find a stray dog within the Suffolk Coastal District
Council area there are several things you can do. If it was found
in another council’s area, it will need to be dealt with by that
council.
If possible, the dog should be secured and contained. During
office hours you can contact the dog warden service at Suffolk
Coastal Services by calling 01394 444000 and the
dog warden will call to collect it from you as soon as
possible. Suffolk Coastal Services office hours are 8.45am -
5.15pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am - 4.45 on Friday.
If you are not able to secure the dog, please contact the dog
warden service on the number above, with as many details as
possible about where the dog is and what it looks like.
They will then try and find the dog and if practicable, catch
it.
Outside office hours, at weekends or on bank holidays, please
consider if you can hold the dog until they can collect it on the
next working day. If you are not able to do this, stray dogs may be
taken to one of the following kennels up to 10pm on any day and be
left there:
- Pampered Pets Hotel,
Greenacre, Glevering, Hacheston, Wickham Market, IP13 0EX,
Telephone: 01728 747760.
- Kembroke Kennels and Cattery,
Newbourne Road, Bucklesham, IP10 0BU, Telephone: 01394
448201.
If you are unable to take the dog to these kennels and are not
able to temporarily keep the dog until the following day, up until
10pm on any day, Suffolk Coastal Services will try and arrange for
someone to call and collect the dog from you. To arrange this
please telephone the Council’s out of hours emergency number on
07771 816535. Please be aware however, that it may
not always be possible to arrange this service, but we will
try.
Fees for the release of stray dogs
Before a dog can be released to the owner, all fees and charges
must be paid in full to Suffolk Coastal Services Limited. These
fees and charges are made up of a statutory charge of £25.00, plus
administrative and kennelling charges, based on a rate for each day
(or part day) the dog is in our custody.
When payment has been made, the owner will receive a Certificate
of Release enabling the collection of the dog from the Council’s
designated kennels.
Veterinary fees and any other treatment charges incurred
are payable at cost price in addition to all other
fees.
1 day - £25 release fee plus kennel and
administration costs - total fee £75.
2 days - £25 release fee plus £65 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £95.
3 days - £25 release fee plus £80 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £110.
4 days - £25 release fee plus £95 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £125.
5 days - £25 release fee plus £110 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £140.
6 days - £25 release fee plus £125 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £155.
7 days - £25 release fee plus £140 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £170.
8 days - £25 release fee plus £155 kennel and
administration costs - total fee £180.
and thereafter a further £15.00 per day that
the dog is kept.
Where 2 dogs from the same household have been seized together
the charge for the second dog on day 1 is reduced to £40.
Dogs will be kept for a maximum of seven full days, after
seizure or service of a statutory notice, whichever is the latest.
Unclaimed dogs are usually offered for
rehoming.