Report a lost or found dog
If you have a lost dog, you can let us know by completing our online form.
Your dog may have been found and held by a member of the public, taken to a veterinary surgery, taken to a dog rescue centre, or collected as a stray dog and kennelled by the dog warden.
Before you start
We maintain a register of stray dogs who've been collected and we will check your report against the register to see if we've collected your dog.
If we have we will let you know. If we haven't then we'll add your report to the register so we know who to contact if your dog is found.
Dogs with collars, tags and/or microchips
If we find your dog as a stray we will try to contact you and return your dog to you, although we are not obliged by law to do so. The fee for doing this is £147 per dog. This comprises £122 (inclusive of VAT) dog warden fee and £25 (non-vatable) government levy.
If your dog has been found stray more than once, it may be removed straight to the kennels.
Dogs collected as a stray by the dog warden and taken to the kennels
When you reclaim a dog that has been seized and detained as stray by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, by law you must pay all costs incurred by way of the dog's detention as stray before the dog should be released back to you, Environmental Protection Act 1990 Section 149 (5).
Kennelling costs are by the day or half day, these fees are payable at the time of collecting your dog and must be paid directly to the kennels and not Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
To ensure you get your dog back as soon as possible, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council will invoice you for all other fees, and you will be required to sign a form as an undertaking that you agree to pay the fees on receipt of the invoice.
The following fees will apply:
- dog warden fees and government levy for the collection and removal of a stray dog to the kennels is £147 per dog. This comprises £122 (inclusive of VAT) dog warden fee and £25 (non-vatable) government levy
- an out of hours fee is also applied if your dog has been collected and taken to the kennels between the hours of 4pm and 9.30am or at weekends and on bank holidays, this additional fee is £68 (inclusive of VAT)
- if your dog has to be seen by a vet for its immediate welfare you will be charged for this service
When you are collecting your dog you must:
- provide proof of identity such as passport or driver's licence
- provide proof of address such as a recent utility bill or bank statement
- sign a form at the kennels stating that you agree to pay all other fees as invoiced by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
A stray dog will be kept in the kennels for a period of seven days, after which it can be legally rehomed. Every effort will be made to rehome dogs but where we are unable to find a suitable home or the dog is too aggressive to be rehomed the dog may be destroyed.
Failure to pay an invoice in relation to the seizure and detention of your dog may result in legal action being taken against you.