The Arbor closure
The Arbor is currently closed today (26 April) but will be open as normal on Monday 29 April. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Stray or Lost Dogs
Stray dogs
Gloucester City Council (GCC) has responsibility for stray dogs within the city. The stray dogs service is currently provided by our partner Worcester Regulatory Services (WRS).
This includes Dog Warden Service (collection/seizure of stray and lost dogs).
Kenneling and Re-homing (WRS work with local charities, animal shelters and vets to find a home for dogs which have strayed and been abandoned).
What does this mean to you?
A WRS Dog Warden will come to Gloucester to collect stray or lost dogs (which have been tethered or contained) and WRS will provide kennelling until the dog can be reunited with its owner. Where the dog is not reclaimed they will provide the rehoming service.
The welfare of the dog is the priority for GCC and WRS. Dogs are collected for their own safety and for the safety of the public. Lost and stray dogs can be disorientated and may panic, putting themselves and members of the public at risk from incidents such as road traffic accidents. The dog may even be aggressive in some cases if they are seriously distressed. Some stray dogs are found with injuries or in poor health and it is the duty of GCC and WRS to provide veterinary care, if required, when a dog comes into their care. Veterinary care will be charged to the owner (at cost) and added to any other charges.
Your responsibility as a dog owner
It is the law for your dog to be wearing a collar with an identity tag, with your phone number and address, at all times when it is in a public place. It is also compulsory for all dogs to be micro chipped.
Lost and stray dogs are generally found by members of the public, who will most likely contact you directly using the details on the dogs' tag - this means you are re-united as quickly as possible.
If your details are not available to the finder, they will contact the City Council or WRS or take the lost dog to a vet, the dog will then be collected by the Dog Warden. A micro-chip does not mean that your dog is returned to you directly. The dog will be scanned for a micro-chip when it reaches the kennels.
When WRS collect a stray dog and arrange kenneling, if the dog is micro chipped and the owners details are clear and up-to-date, they will make every effort to contact the owner to confirm they have the dog, to try and arrange early collection and to reduce any fees/kenneling costs that will be incurred.
If the Dog Warden contacts you to say they have your dog, you will have already incurred a fine and charges (charges are made up of a statutory fine, a small admin charge and the cost of kenneling based on the number of nights your dog stays in kennels.)
If a dog is collected on Friday out of office hours, the next opportunity for the owner to start the process of being reunited, will be Monday after 9am.
Have you found a dog straying?
The WRS Dog Wardens will only collect tethered or 'contained' strays – during their working hours of 9am to 10pm (7 days per week)
To contact the Dog Warden, please call the WRS Stray Dogs Service helpline on 01905 822 799 during office hours 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays)
Calls are answered in a queue. If the operator is on another call please be prepared to leave a short message with your location, a brief description of the dog and your contact details. You will be called back.
Out of office hours please phone the City Council's out of hours service on 01452 396 220 (5pm to 9am Monday to Friday and during weekends or Bank Holidays)
Out of hours staff will pass the message on to the Dog Warden and again you will be contacted as soon as possible.
Lost Dogs
Have you lost a dog?
To find out if your dog has been collected please call 01905 822 799 during office hours of 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays.
- Please call the service provider, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), on 01905 822 799 (Calls are answered in a queue, if the operator is on another call, please be prepared to leave a short message with your location, a brief description of the dog and your contact details)
- WRS will be able to let you know if your dog is in their kennels and what payment you owe. You may then pay by debit / credit card, over the phone to them.
- Once you have paid you will be given a unique reference (receipt) number to present at the kennels when collecting your dog. You will also be told the location of the kennels as well their opening hours.
Collecting stray dogs
WRS will liaise with owners to organise a time to collect their dogs only when full payment has been made.
Dog owners will NOT be able to pay the fees at the kennels.
Dog owners unable to get to the kennels near Worcester will be able to have their dog returned to them by WRS (01905 822 799) for an extra one-off fee of £30, payable in advance.
Dogs will be kept for a maximum of 7 days before being re-homed on the 8th day.
Dogs on Leads in Barnwood Arboretum
Gloucester City Council has recently enacted a Dog Control Order and erected signage in Barnwood Arboretum requiring dogs to be kept on leads. This is in the interests of wildlife management and for the welfare of livestock that graze in the arboretum.
Please follow the links below to see a letter the Council has sent to residents, and a copy of the Dog Control Order applicable to this open space.
Dogs on leads In Barnwood Arboretum - Letter to Residents (PDF, 323.6 KB)
Dogs on leads In Barnwood Arboretum - Dog Control Order (PDF, 869.9 KB)
Dangerous dogs
The police are responsible for dealing with situations such as dogs causing a hazard to traffic and dangerous dogs; they can be contacted by calling 101.
We will
- collect stray dogs
- charge owners for collection and kenneling of stray dogs
- support WRS in re-homing stray dogs that have been abandoned, working with local charities, animal shelters and vets.
What you need to do
Ensure your dog has a collar and a tag with your address and phone number. This is a legal requirement.
It is also now compulsory that all dogs are micro-chipped with the registered owners' contact details
You can report stray or lost dogs to WRS 01905 822 799 during office hours or on 01452 396 220 out of office hours.