Do you have to report a dog you have found?

[kid]

I found a dog recently and did report it. The local dog warden took the dog and that was the last I heard from them.

This afternoon, a dog was roaming around the back of my house where all the local kids play. I happened to look out the window to see my ds giving the dog a cuddle!

Turned out the dog was lost, no owner in sight. Dog was wearing a collar but no I'd tag. Someone local took the dog but I don't believe they will report it. I also didn't like the way the man was shouting at the dog. It was a staff and very friendly. It sat when I told him to and looked well fed. I didn't feel happy to take the dog myself as it looked very strong and I would have been worried about him hurting my dog.

Yes by law you must report it to the dog warden. You don't have it over, but if you keep it in your possesion you must do your best to try and find the owner i.e flyers, dogslost website, free adds in the local paper etc.

If after two weeks no-one has claimed the dog, you can keep it and the owners claim to the dog is ended, unless they can show good reason why they did not contact you/the dog warden about the dog sooner.

Is there someone I can contact even though I don't have possession of it? I haven't seen the dog since the man took it thus afternoon and I don't know where he lives. There is a Turkish cafe that he hangs about in near my house.
I figure there is nothing I can do now.
Earlier I just wanted the dog away from the roads and also away from all the loud kids that were running around which could spooked the dog causing him to turn.

In Law, the finder must return the dog to the owner or inform the LA that he has found the dog immediately as it's illegal to hold a dog which is unreported. The local authority has a legal obligation to record data of all dogs handed in to them (k/a 'seized' by them) but no obligation to record details of lost dogs, though of course it's common sense and good practice to do so. Police no longer have any direct powers over strays and no longer take them in unless they fall under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The Police could use discretionary powers under the Control of Dogs Act but in practice it doesn't really happen.

The finder may keep the dog rather than take/send it to the LA's pound. He does not need permission for this per se but the Law says that he must be capable of caring for the dog adequately. Effectively the onus is on the LA to demonstrate that the finder isn't capable. Many local councils are unaware of this and will tell you that you must hand the dog over to them. This is bullshit. Councils are good at spreading it.

Shiney is mistaken on what she says must happen if the finder wishes to retain the dog (sorry Shiney!).

The finder must agree to keep the dog for at least 28 days. Thereafter the dog cannot be sold or given to any other party as he is never really the finder's and must be relinquished to the owner should he come forward.

If the finder opts to keep the dog he should ensure that a vet/dog warden/rescue scans the dog for a microchip so that he might reunite dog and owner.

Given that the LA should record lost dog reports even though the stupid law says they don't have to, you'd be wise to call the dog warden for a chat on Monday morning Kid. Also, although the Police don't have to record the loss of a dog, if the owner has any sense he'll have got on to them and bugged them enough until they agreed to do so, so a word to them wouldn't go amiss.

Otherwise... visit the prat who was shouting at the SBT, with a couple of big guys and big sticks!

A timely reminder too that a dog tag with up-to-date contact details on it is a legal requirement in the UK and something which, had this SBT had one, would have ensured that he was on his owner's lap this evening.

I was quoting what I read on the web whilst having a minor panic attack after having someone in the park eye my rescued mutt suspiciously and then follow me home. I was convinced they were going to come back equipped with a large man and try and take my dog back. They didn't.

Was t'interweb wrong or are the rules different for dogs adopted from a pound?

We found a dog and were asked by the dog warden if we would "house it on behalf of the local authority" whilst the owner was found. (Think he took one look at our already dog friendly house and heaved a sigh of releif it was not one more for them.

However they were very clear that should the owner not come forward within a specified period then the dog would legally be ours and if the owner came forward after that it would be totally up to us whether we gave him back.

I think this is another example of bloody councils being confused and confusing! Shiney, I was going on the huge row I had with one when I found an elderly dog who I knew stood no chance if he was taken to the pound by the DW. (I found the owner in the end, btw, after INSISTING LOUDLY that the reluctant DW came out and scanned the little chap). The council were refusing to let me keep the dog, I quoted my right to by law and asked them to get in touch with the rescue which had homechecked and okayed me as a fosterer to prove my competence to do so. Of course the reluctant DW also saw my own 2 healthy, happy boys.

The DW, when he eventually deigned to turn up, was a massive brick shithouse man, part-time bouncer, complete with piercings in the back of his neck and shaven head. In contrast I'm 5 foot 3 (but mouthy!). He followed council line, insisting that I relinquished the dog to the council's 'care'. I ended up calling in a favour and getting an RSPCA solicitor to call the council to (as the solicitor put it) put a rocket up them. It was he who gave me the info above.

Re keeping the dog permanently, there is no criminal law ccovering the matter but as I understand it, it would be down to civil law to resolve the issue if the owner came forward after 28 days. Case history suggests that the owner can recover his dog even after a longer time has elapsed.