Lost and found dogs

The council has a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 149 to collect and detain stray dogs. Stray dogs are returned to their owner provided the owner can be identified, by the dog wearing a collar and tag or if they are microchipped. If the owner can't be identified the dog will be taken to Three Oaks Dog Boarding Kennels and Cattery, located in Bishops Waltham (SO32 1DR).

After a period of seven days, legal ownership passes to Havant Borough Council who will then try to find a new home for the dog.

Dog owners responsibilities

By law, your dog must:

  • wear a collar with your name and address on it. If it doesn’t wear a collar, you could be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000
  • be microchipped and registered with up-to-date details.

If you lose or find a dog

If you lose or find a dog between 9am and 5pm (office hours), please report it to us by calling 023 9244 6016. Our Animal Welfare Officers will then collect the stray dog as soon as possible.  We use Three Oaks Dog Boarding Kennels and Cattery located in Bishops Waltham to hold stray dogs.

To contact the Kennels, please call 01489 892760. If you lose or find a dog outside of office hours, please phone our Stray Dog Acceptance Point on 01489 892760. The owner may have already contacted the kennels and they can put you in touch to arrange reunification. Please be advised that the kennels will be unable to collect the lost or stray dog.

Collecting a dog from the kennels

Members of the public can claim their dogs, (with prior contact) subject to the payment of the requisite fees and provision of ID, directly from Three Oaks kennels during the following hours only:

Monday to Sunday - 09:00-11:00 or 15:00-17:00.

You will also need to provide proof of ownership of the dog you are collecting. A dog will not be given back unless we are satisfied that you are its rightful owner.

Charges

There will be charges to pay if your dog was collected by the animal welfare officers or taken to the reception centre. You must pay full kennelling rates directly to the kennels for every day or part-day that your dog was there.You must pay any vet bills incurred while your dog was at the kennels.

You must pay the statutory fee of £25 plus a handling charge of £11 per animal. If your dog was taken to the reception centre outside the council's normal working hours, there will be an extra charge of £25.