Frequently asked questions
You can find answers to our most frequently asked questions by searching on a keyword or category on the right.
Alternatively, why not ask our virtual assistant Annie.
Arranging for a stray dog to be collected
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (section 68) makes your local authority solely responsible for dealing with stray dogs. The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have useful guidance notes on local authority responsibilities for stray dogs.
To arrange for a stray dog to be collected, please contact your local authority dog warden. If the local authority has an arrangement with the local RSPCA, they will advise you where to find your nearest RSPCA reception point.
We also recommend that you visit Pets Located, an online resource to reunite owners with their missing pets, to register the dog as found and see whether its owner has reported it as lost.
The RSPCA and other animal welfare charities cannot pick up stray dogs or accept them from people who find them. Instead, we direct people to their local authority. We can only deal with a stray dog in an emergency, for example, if it is in imminent danger of death or severe suffering and the police and local authority are unable to attend.
The RSPCA continues to promote responsible dog ownership initiatives to local authorities to reduce the number of stray dogs, particularly through joint education, microchipping and neutering schemes.
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