Lost / stray dogs and microchipping
Many people think of a stray dog as one without a home but this is not necessarily the case. A stray dog is any dog that is roaming freely and not under the control of any person, irrespective of whether it has a home or an identification tag.
If you have:
- Lost your dog
- Found a stray dog, or want to
- Report that you have seen a dog straying
Please use our online form to report it.
For stray animals other than dogs, please visit the RSPCA website for further details.
Please note: The police no longer have any responsibility for stray dogs.
On this page
— Reporting a lost or found dog
— Three Oaks Kennels
— Registering a lost dog
— Dog collection and fees
— Requirements for owning a dog
— Dog microchipping
— Cat microchipping
Reporting a lost or found dog
If you have lost or found a dog please contact Winchester City Council's Environmental Health Administration between the hours of 9am and 5pm (Monday to Thursday) and 9am to 4.30pm (Friday) on
- Telephone: 01962 848097
- Email: EHealth@winchester.gov.uk
If you have lost or found a dog outside of these normal office hours, please call our 'out of hours' number on 01962 865407 and we will provide further information on this service.
You can also contact the Animal Welfare Officers (Dog Wardens) on 01962 848456 or 01962 848548. They are generally at work from 8am to 5pm. Messages left outside of these hours will not be picked up until that officer is next in the office.
Where a stray dog is found, we will usually try to contact the owner if the address or telephone number is known. This may be identified by a collar with tag or microchip. If the owner cannot be contacted, or if the dog has been found straying before, the dog will be taken to the Council's kennelling facility and kept safe until the owner can pay the charges incurred and claim it.
Three Oaks Kennels
Winchester City Council provides a drop-off facility for stray dogs at Three Oaks Kennels, Botley Road, Bishops Waltham SO32 1DR.
Dogs may also be delivered directly to Three Oaks during the following times:
- Monday to Friday: 9am to 9pm
- Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 9am to 5pm
You can contact the Three Oaks Kennels directly on 01489 892760.
Registering a lost dog
You can register your dog on Doglost, the UK's largest 'lost and found dog service'.
You could also contact local vets or rescue centres to see if your dog has been taken there by a member of the public. Details and telephone numbers can be found online, but here are a few:
- St Francis Animal Shelter, Fair Oak. Telephone: 02380 693 282.
- Dogs Trust (closest branches are Salisbury and Newbury). Telephone: 0207 837 0006.
- Blue Cross, Southampton. Telephone: 0300 777 1530.
- RSPCA Solent. Telephone: 01329 667 541.
If you think your dog has been stolen, you should report it to the police as well as the Animal Welfare Officer.
Dog collection and fees
If your dog has been taken to Three Oaks Kennels, you can pick it up - subject to paying the correct fees and showing your ID - from Monday to Sunday: 9am to 11am or 3pm to 5pm.
If a dog is not reclaimed after 7 days, it is usually rehomed by a dog rescue centre but not in the area near to where the dog was originally found. Most rescue centres will assess a dog's health and temperament and will neuter a dog to prevent any more unwanted puppies; they will carry out a home check for a potential new owner.
Dogs are not put to sleep unless they are suffering from severe illness, are a banned breed / type, are too dangerous to rehome or can not be found a rescue space, although this is very rare.
The following fees and charges shall be levied for stray dogs within Winchester City Council’s jurisdiction:
- Day 1 - £115
- Day 2 - £150
- Day 3 - £185
- Day 4 - £220
- Day 5 - £255
- Day 6 - £290
- Day 7 - £325
These fees include the statutory fee of £25, a single collection / administration fee of £45 and a £35 kennelling fee per day or part day. Please note that these charges also include a £10 reclaim fee levied by the kennelling provider.
The Kenneling Fees and Charges document has more information.
If the dog has received any veterinary treatment, including flea, tick or worm treatments, or incurred any other costs to Winchester City Council, then the claimant will also be charged these costs.
Further information on the legislation can be found in the following two documents:
The Environmental Protection (Stray Dogs) Regulation 1992
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 - Part VIII
Requirements for owning a dog
It is an offence for a dog owner not to comply with all 3 of the requirements below;
- Keep a collar with a tag bearing the current keeper's and/or the owner's name and address on your dog in a public place.
- Have a microchip implanted in your dog and submit your details to an approved microchip database.
- Keep the microchip database details current at all times (this includes the name, address and telephone number of the current keeper of the dog).
Dog microchipping
What is the law?
All dogs that are 8 weeks of age or over must be microchipped. To comply with the law you must comply with points 1 and 2;
- Ensure your dog has a microchip that is registered on a UK database.
- Ensure that the details held against your dog's microchip are current at all times.
Please note: In addition to a microchip, there is still a legal requirement to have a collar and tag on your dog in a public place. The tag must have the owner's name and address; a telephone number is also advisable.
What is a microchip?
A microchip is a transmitter about the size of a small uncooked grain of rice. It is implanted under the dog's skin between the shoulder blades. It bears a unique number, which is displayed when a scanner passes over the chip. When the database operator is contacted and given that number, they will be able to find the details of the registered keeper of the dog.
Does it hurt?
Inserting a microchip hurts your dog as much as having a normal injection. The chip and needle are completely sterile and the injection site is very small and heals very quickly. Only fully trained people are allowed to insert microchips. It is extremely rare that there are any complications from inserting a microchip.
Where can I get my dog microchipped?
Any vet or professionally trained microchipper will microchip your dog. We have officers who are trained to microchip dogs. If you can get together with friends, neighbours or a local club to find 5 or more dogs that need chipping in the same area, contact us and we'll arrange to come out. Give us a ring on 01962 848097 or email EHealth@winchester.gov.uk to arrange it.
Cat microchipping
What is the law?
As of 10th June 2024, all cats that are 20 weeks of age or over must be microchipped. To comply with the law you must comply with points 1 and 2;
- Ensure your cat has a microchip that is registered on a UK database.
- Ensure that the details held against your cat's microchip are current at all times.
What is a microchip?
A microchip is a transmitter about the size of a small uncooked grain of rice. It is implanted under the dog's skin between the shoulder blades. It bears a unique number, which is displayed when a scanner passes over the chip. When the database operator is contacted and given that number, they will be able to find the details of the registered keeper of the dog.
Does it hurt?
Inserting a microchip hurts your cat as much as having a normal injection. The chip and needle are completely sterile and the injection site is very small and heals very quickly. Only fully trained people are allowed to insert microchips. It is extremely rare that there are any complications from inserting a microchip.
Where can I get my cat microchipped?
Any vet or professionally trained microchipper will microchip your cat.
See the Cats Protection League website for more advice.