Dealing with issues related to dogs

There are over twenty pieces of legislation related to dogs and dog ownership in the UK. They cover issues such as:

• Identification (microchipping and wearing a collar and tag)
• Animal welfare
• Making sure your dog doesn't cause a public nuisance (barking and fouling)
• Keeping your dog under control
• Breeding, buying and selling animals

If you're a dog owner

Read the Blue Cross guide to UK dog laws, to make sure you know your responsibilities, and what may happen if you break the law.

Report a dog-related problem

Use the guide below to find out how to report some of the most common dog-related issues. Select any topic for more detail, and who to contact. 

Report a lost dog

If you have lost your dog, please call Council Connect on 01225 394041 or report it online.

Once reported, if the Council are made aware of a lost dog that meets the description you have provided, we will contact you.

It may also be worth calling Bath Cats and Dogs Home, local veterinary practices and other animal rescue centres in the area(s) to check the dog has not been handed in.

Report a stray dog

If you have found a stray dog and you feel it is safe to do so, please check if the dog is wearing any identification showing the owners' details. If you can establish the owners’ details, please contact them directly and arrange for them to collect the dog from you.

If the dog has no identification and/or you don’t feel safe to approach the dog, please report it to us by calling Council Connect on 01225 394041 or using our online form.

We can collect a stray dog between 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Thursday and 9:00am to 4:30pm Friday.

We will only collect a stray dog if the dog is contained; we will not respond to dogs that are roaming free.

If a stray dog is reported outside the above hours including public bank holidays, please take the stray dog to Bath Cats & Dogs Home (calling ahead first):

Bath Cats & Dogs Home
The Avenue
Claverton Down
Bath
BA2 7AZ

If your dog has been taken in by our holding kennels at Bath Cats and Dogs Home, you will be required to provide identification, pay a kennel release fee and any other associated costs such veterinary expenses before the dog will be released.

To enable Bath & Cats and Dogs Home to release a dog, you will need to provide the following identification:

• Proof of your identification (driver’s licence, passport, or proof of age card)
• Proof of your address (utility bill, Council tax bill, bank statement, dated in the last six months)
• Proof of ownership of the dog (for example purchase papers, pet passport, veterinary letter, microchip details or insurance paperwork etc.)

Kennel release fee 2026/2027

The following fees must be paid before the stray dog is released:

• 1 to 3 days: £184.00 (VAT exempt)
• 4 to 7 days: £351.00 (VAT exempt)
• Returning stray dogs without kennelling: £124.00

Warning For dogs that stray, you will also need to cover any additional associated costs (if applicable). 

We, with Bath Cats and Dogs Home, try to reunite stray dogs with their owners. After seven days, if we have not been able to find the owner, our next step would be to explore rehoming of the dog. In some situations, we may need to euthanise the dog.

If your stray dog is returned to you, we would encourage you to ensure that:

• The dog wears a collar and identification tag in a public place. This would ensure you are complying with The Control of Dogs Order 1992.
• The dog is microchipped and registered details are up to date. This would ensure you are complying with The Microchipping of Cats and Dogs (England) Regulations 2023.
• You review and ensure the boundary of your property including gates are maintained in such a condition to stop the dog escaping the boundary of the property.
• The dog is kept on a lead in public areas.

We will aim to respond to a reported stray dog on the same day.

Report an animal welfare issue

If you think that someone is neglecting an animal, or treating it cruelly, you can report this to the RSPCA. This includes:

• Leaving dogs in cars on hot days
• Failing to feed, shelter or treat an animal correctly
• Failing to get medical help for a sick animal
• Illegal surgery such as tail docking (see exemptions) and ear cropping
• Using dogs for illegal activities or sports (such as poaching, fighting or hare coursing)
• Abandoning an animal, or leaving it alone for an unreasonable amount of time
• Breeders who are unlicensed, or failing to provide appropriate facilities and conditions for breeding animals safely and humanely

You can also contact the Police for any of the issues above, or if a dog is involved in a road accident. If you hit a dog with your vehicle, you must inform the Police within 24 hours. 

Call on 101 to report longer-term animal welfare issues, or on 999 if it is an emergency. 

The Dog Warden Service doesn't deal with these issues of cruelty and neglect.

Report a dog behaving dangerously

Call the Police on 999 (in an emergency) or 101 (in a non-emergency) if you see a dog acting in any of these aggressive or dangerous ways:

• you think the dog may attack a person or another dog
• a guard dog is out of control
• a dog is worrying or harming livestock on farmland

Report a dog-on-dog attack

If your dog has been involved in a dog-on-dog attack, we recommend that all parties check their dogs for any injuries, and take injured dogs to a local veterinary practice. 

If possible, we would recommend that you take down the other parties' contact details and obtain photographs of the dog(s), in case this information is needed by your insurance company, or if you wish to take civil action.

If veterinary treatment is required, any claims for costs is a civil matter between the parties. We are unable to get involved in civil cases.

If you feel there is a public safety threat, you can report it using our online form. We will not investigate anonymous complaints, third party complaints, or complaints where all parties' details are not provided at the time of reporting. We will look at the facts to establish any threat to public safety; we may not act in all cases.

Report a barking dog

If the noise of a persistently barking dog is causing a nuisance, you can report this to our Environmental Protection team. 

If the dog is barking repeatedly over a long period, it may be neglected or distressed. You may also want to report this to the RSPCA.

Report dog fouling

If you see someone failing to pick up their dog's mess, you can report this to us online. Our Dog Warden may issue a fine to the owner. 

Report a dead animal

If you see a dead dog (or other large animal) on a road or in a public space, let us know. We can remove it, and assess if there is any danger to public health.

If the animal is in a location that might cause an accident or danger to people (such as in the middle of the road), please report this as an emergency.

Report a dog of a banned breed (dangerous dogs)

Under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is against the law in the UK to own a dog of one of these breeds:

• Dogo Argentino
• Fila Braziliero
• Japanese tosa
• Pitbull terrier
• XL Bully

If you think have questions or concerns about a dangerous dog, please contact the Police on 999 (emergencies) or 101 (non-emergencies).

Read further information about the XL Bully ban on Gov.uk.