County Durham vets told not to accept stray dogs by council

It comes after a letter from the council was sent out last month setting out new expectations about how stray animals should be handled.

Abbey Veterinary Centre in Chester-le-Street, Vets for Pets in Bishop Auckland and Durham, Castle Veterinary Surgeons in Bishop Auckland, and Seaham Vets have taken to Facebook to announce they have been instructed not to accept stray dogs from members of the public.

Abbey Veterinary Centre (Image: GOOGLE)

The council letter reads: “Durham County Council are not a rehoming service, nor are we a service that can be used as a means to abandon dogs.

“The service is experiencing an increase of instances where dogs appear to be deliberately abandoned by their owners and are being handed in as strays.

“Vets are not commissioned to provide stray dog services by Durham County Council and I respectfully ask that your practices refrain from acting as a drop off point for stray dogs in the future.

“We will not be collecting stray dogs from veterinary practices moving forward.”

The practices said they are still able to scan stray dogs for microchips or provide emergency care, but stressed that they are unable to take the animals into their care or arrange rehoming. Instead, anyone who finds a stray are now being encouraged to report them directly to the council.

Dog owners are also being urged to ensure their pets’ microchip details are fully up to date so pets can be quickly reunited with owners, without needing to be collected by the council.

Seaham Vets (Image: Google)

Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’s neighbourhood protection manager, said: “While animal welfare remains our top priority, it is not our responsibility, or that of vets, to take in dogs that owners no longer want.

“To address this issue, we are working with veterinary practices to make it harder for people to abandon pets in this way.

“We have asked vets to advise anyone reporting a stray dog to contact us directly. This allows us to confirm whether the dog is genuinely a stray by requesting the legally required details. If confirmed, we will arrange for the dog to be collected as quickly as possible.”

County Hall, Durham. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

He advised anyone who finds a stray to check for a collar and tag and share its details locally via community networks and social media, before assuming the dog is a stray.

For those who choose to get a dog, he reminded them to ensure it wears a collar and tag and is microchipped, so it can be identified if needed.

Anyone who finds or sees a stray dog is asked to contact Durham County Council on 03000 260000 or visit www.durham.gov.uk/doitonline.