Stray dogs: what you need to know

The council is urging people to contact them about stray dogs. Credit: PA

People who stumble across stray dogs should get in touch with their local council rather than the police.

That's the message from South Lakeland District Council - they're concerned many people don't know what to do if they see a stray.

The council currently sends the strays to a kennel in Milnthorpe where routine checks are carried out to try and find the owner.

If a dog hasn't been microchipped they use other methods such as social media.

A dog at a council Kennel Credit: ITV Border

The council wants people to be aware of the following points:

Any dog can be treated as a stray if it is roaming freely, even if it's wearing a collar
Members of the public should report stray dogs to the council, not the police, as the council is responsible
If an owner is traced the dog will be returned to them and the owner issued with a warning.
If the dog is found again in the next 12 months it will be taken straight to the kennels.
If you find a stray dog you have a duty to return it to its owner or contact the local council. People who ignore this and keep stray dogs could be accused of theft.