If you find a stray dog, by law, you must either return it to its owner or arrange for the Dog Enforcement Service to deal with the dog.
You can inform the council’s dog enforcement service of a stray dog by completing the form below. Do not approach a dog if you are unsure whether it is friendly or not.
Stray Dogs Found Outside Office Hours
If you find a stray dog outside of normal Council office hours (evenings, weekends and bank holidays), please follow the guidance below.
Reporting a stray dog
Members of the public should report stray dogs during these times by contacting the Council’s Out of Hours Service on 07557 660341.
You will be asked to provide details such as:
- The location of the dog
- A description (breed, colour, size, collar/tag)
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The dog’s behaviour (e.g. calm, injured, or aggressive)
What will happen next
When you report a stray dog, the following steps will be taken:
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If you are able to safely keep the dog, you may be asked to hold it temporarily until the next working day. The details will be recorded and passed to the Dog Wardens for follow‑up.
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If you are unable or unwilling to keep the dog, arrangements will be explored, which may include contacting our approved kennels. You may be contacted again once these arrangements have been made.
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Each report will be assessed based on risk, including whether the dog is injured, aggressive, or poses a danger to the public.
Important information
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The Council does not operate an emergency collection service, however, out of hours arrangements are in place to ensure stray dogs can be safely managed.
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Where possible, dogs will be scanned for identification and efforts made to reunite them with their owners.
- Please do not put yourself at risk when attempting to handle or secure a stray dog.
If you are unable to safely contain the dog, please still report the sighting with as much detail as possible so the situation can be assessed. You can do this by emailing communityenforcement@fylde.gov.uk and a dog warden will review this the next working day.
