Dog warden service
Details about stray dogs, buying a dog and the out of hours service
The aims of the Middlesbrough Dog Warden service is to promote responsible dog ownership and control nuisance.
Stray dogs
A 'stray' dog is any dog that is out in a public place and is unattended, regardless of whether it is wearing a collar or is microchipped. They may have been let out for exercise on their own, or may be an escaped pet. Stray dogs can however cause problems such as road accidents, attack children or adults, indiscriminate fouling and attack other dogs or animals.
The dog wardens are responsible for the seizure of any stray dogs in Middlesbrough. Any dog that is in a public place unsupervised may be seized by a dog warden (this includes gated alleys).
We always try to return dogs to their owners, but in many cases there is no way of identifying to whom they belong. Stray dogs are normally taken to Waterfall Kennels at Guisborough. Hopefully the owners will come forward in the following seven days to claim their dogs. Unfortunately many remain unclaimed, so we display photos of all our stray dogs:
- in Vancouver House on Ground Floor reception.
- on our Facebook page.
If you wish to report a lost or stray dog you can do so by telephone on 01642 726001 by email envservices@middlesbrough.gov.uk or by
downloading the form [30kb] and faxing it to us on 01642 728960. Alternatively you can report a stray dog online via our online e-form by clicking HERE.
Out of hours service
If you find a stray dog out of office hours (8:30am - 4:00pm Mon - Fri) you should inform us by phoning 726050. There is no collection service outside normal office hours and you will be asked to either keep the dog until the next working day when it will be collected by the dog warden or requested to take the dog to the Council's out of hours drop off centre. This must be done only by arrangement and you will be advised of the procedure when you ring the above number. Out of hours there is no take home service and all dogs collected out of hours will be taken directly to Waterfall Kennels.
How can you buy a dog?
If you have lost, or wish to buy any of our stray dogs, they are held at Waterfall Kennels on Whitby Moor Road, near Guisborough.
The kennels are open for viewing from 1.30pm to 4pm on Mondays to Saturdays. An answering machine operates outside these hours. To claim or buy a dog please ring the kennel on 01287 634240. You can reserve a dog to buy from the day it is kennelled onwards, in case the owner doesn't come forward to claim it. Some dogs are available immediately. Everyone wishing to buy an unclaimed stray dog will have the opportunity to discuss their requirements with a dog warden. All our dogs are now microchipped at no cost to yourself, thanks to a generous offer from the Dogs Trust.
If you represent an animal rescue organisation and wish to adopt or re-home any of our dogs, please contact our helpline on 01642 728209 or 01642 726001.