Dogs FAQ's

What do I do if I have lost my dog?

If you have lost your dog then there are a number of things that you can do.

• You can report your dog missing to the council VIA the Contact Centre by dialling 01827 715341
• You can contact North Warwickshire Borough Councils kennels, Birmingham Dogs Home on 0121 643 5211 to report it as missing
• Check with local Vets and Rescue centres to see if they have had any dealings with your dog

First and foremost, you should read our Lost and Stray Dogs page.

What do I do if I have found a dog?

If you have found a dog then you should contact the Council as soon as possible by calling the Councils Contact Centre on 01827 715341 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.

If you have found a dog outside of these operational hours then there is a DROP OFF ONLY Out Of Hours service at Birmingham Dogs Home Birmingham Dogs Home, Catherine-de-Barnes Lane, Solihull, B92 0DJ - which operates between 9.00am and 4:30pm Mon to Sat (not Christmas and New Year). Please ring before visiting - 0121 643 5211.

For further information you can check our Stray Dogs page.

My dog was found by the Council, how can I claim it back and will it cost me anything?

If a Council Officer has picked up your dog and your dog has a Microchip/Collar and tag then it is likely that the officer will attempt to return the dog to you free of charge.

However, if this is a repeat occurrence or your dog does not have a Microchip/Collar and tag then the dog will be taken to kennels and there will be a charge made for the release of the dog.

If you have a missed call, or you have been contacted in some form by North Warwickshire Borough Council stating that your dog is at our Kennels then you should contact the Kennels directly. For further information on how to do that, you should check our Stray Dogs page.

What do I do if I notice a problem with dog fouling in my neighbourhood?

If you notice Dog Fouling becoming a problem in your area and you would like to report it then you can:

• Call the Councils Contact Centre on (01827) 715341 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
• Report it online VIA email by emailing customerservices@northwarks.gov.uk

For further information about Dog Fouling then please read our Dog Fouling page.

My neighbour doesn't feed/walk/take care of their dog. How can I help it?

Any concerns regarding Animal Welfare should be directly reported to the RSPCA, but please bear in mind the sheer volume of calls that the RSPCA receive every day and have patience after reporting it. You can report welfare issues by:

• Phoning the RSPCA's Animal Cruelty Line 0300 1234 999

I always pick up my dogs waste, but there are no 'dog waste' bins. What do I do?

Dog Waste bins are usually located within the surroundings of local parks and streets where there are likely to be a high volume of Dog Walkers. If there does not seem to be any Dog Waste bins specifically then we ask people to bear in mind the following phrase: ANY BIN WILL DO

Any normal street waste bin within the North Warwickshire will be acceptable to have dog waste put in it so long as it is tied in a dog waste bag or something similar.

Alternatively, if you feel that this is not possible for some reason then you can take the bag home and deposit it in your household domestic waste.

I think I may need help looking after my dog, can you help me?

Below are the names of some charities that may be able to advise you.

• The Dogs Trust https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/default.aspx
• The Blue Cross https://www.bluecross.org.uk/
• PDSA https://www.pdsa.org.uk/
• RSPCA https://www.rspca.org.uk/

I have a Question about Dangerous Dogs

All information regarding Dangerous Dogs can be found on our Dangerous Dogs page.

If this does not answer your question then you can contact our Contact Centre on 01827 715341 for further advice.

If it seems that either you; somebody you know; somebody you can see is currently in danger because of a dog then please do not hesitate to contact the police by ringing 999 in an Emergency. Alternatively you can contact the Police by dialling 101, making an enquiry and asking your enquiry to be passed to the Dog Legislation Officers.

I always pick up after my dog, but there are no Dog Bins in my area. How do I request some?

Above all else, please remember that ANY BIN WILL DO - This includes not only public general waste bins, but also your household and domestic waste at home. Remember, you will still be held accountable if your dog fouls and you fail to clean up - regardless of whether or not there are any bins in the area. This will not be tolerated as an excuse.

North Warwickshire Borough Council only has the authority to place bins on land that is the property of the Borough Council and in some cases it may be that the location you wish to request a bin for is actually the responsibility of the local Parish Council. If this is the case then it is advisable to direct your request at the local Parish Council. However, if you do feel that your neighbourhood is in desperate need of a dog waste bin or any other bins and the land on which you want the bin placed is the property of North Warwickshire Borough Council, then please contact our Call Centre on (01827) 715341 and they will direct your call appropriately so as to deal with and take your request into consideration.

If you fail to pick up after your dog you could be prosecuted or given an instant fixed penalty notice (fine) of £80 if  Council staff see the offence or if it is caught on CCTV.

I have been issued a Fixed Penalty Notice for failing to pick up after my dog – I have heard that I don’t have to pay the full amount if I pay it quickly? That is correct, the standard cost is £80, if it is paid within 7 days the cost is £50.

Can I appeal? There are no formal grounds of appeal. A FPN is an invitation for you to effectively cancel your liability to prosecution. This means if you agree that you have committed an offence and pay the fine, no further action (prosecution) will be taken. This saves both you and the courts time. The cost of a FPN is likely to be substantially lower than a court fine. The maximum penalty for failing to pick up after your dog is £1,000.

What if I don’t agree that I committed the offence? In this case, it would be dealt with through formal prosecution. It will then be up to the court - on receiving evidence - to decide if a penalty should be imposed. If you appeal, you will take the formal court route. Please note: the financial penalty imposed by the Courts can be significantly greater than a FPN.

Why should I pay if there are no signs about dog fouling in the area where I failed to pick up after my dog? We are not required to place signs tell people not to leave their dog poo/inform them dog fouling patrols are operating. Dog Fouling legislation has been in force for many years.

Why should I pay a FPN when there were no dog poo bins nearby at the time? We cannot place bins in every single street or road. We try to place bins where they are most needed: the town centre, school routes and major shopping areas.

But I wasn’t given a warning, surely that is not fair? Our dog fouling campaign has been ongoing; this is no use if the message is being ignored. We take our enforcement duties seriously and the aim of our enforcement patrols target those who choose to ignore dog fouling laws.

If I am caught, I will just pick the dog poo up and nothing will happen will it? Wrong: the offence relates to failing to pick up your dog poo and walking away. Therefore you have committed an offence and will be issued with a FPN.

Last updated Wednesday, 13th September 2023