Dogs

If you find an injured or sick animal, you can phone a local vet who will be able to provide advice.

If you wish to catch and transport the animal, a vet will also be able to advise you how to do this safely. See the link in Related Information to find a local vet.

For larger injured wildlife, phone the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 and do not try to catch the animal yourself.

The following animals cannot be handled or transported by the public:

• an injured deer
• seal
• wild boar
• otter
• badger
• fox
• snake
• bird of prey (including owls)
• swan
• goose
• heron
• gull

You should speak to your neighbour about the problem as they may not be aware that it is happening.

Unless there is any evidence of the dog being mistreated then the RSPCA will not be able to help. If you do believe that the dog is being mistreated, you can contact the RSPCA via their telephone number 0300 1234 999.

The noise could be classed as a noise nuisance so you would need to report it to the Environmental Health department at your local authority.

Please see the website in Related Information to report a noise complaint to your local authority.

It is not advisable to force entry to the vehicle yourself straight away. Depending on the level of distress, your first step should be to call the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

If the police don't have time to get there, then you have to decide if you should take action by forcing entry. Make sure you tell the police what you intend to do, why and, where possible, take images/footage of the dog and the names and numbers of witnesses to the incident. The law states that you have a lawful excuse to commit damage if:

'at the time you believed that the person whom you believe to be entitled to consent to the destruction of or damage to the property in question . . . .would consent to it if s/he . . . had known of the destruction or damage and its circumstances' (section 5(2)(a) Criminal Damage Act 1971).
(this legal reference is slightly modified for clarity)

Do not do this without fully assessing the situation, and being prepared to defend your actions in court, in the event of any legal action being taken against you.

The RSPCA can offer guidance on information on cruelty via their cruelty line at any time on 0300 1234 999. See further advice from the RSPCA on the website in related information.

There have been decisions in the past by courts and authorities to suggest that it is the nature of a dog to kill and wound small animals. As such, unfortunately there is no certainty that the police could take action, in the event of your pet being killed or wounded by a dog.

The police will however take action if the dog was dangerously out of control (see Q653 for more information on this).

If the police cannot take action under the circumstances, the other viable alternative is to pursue civil proceedings against the dog owner. In this event, we would recommend contacting the Citizens Advice for further guidance on this process.

This answer does not take into account deliberate attacks or dog fights which are separate offences.

Here are some of our top tips to help find your lost dog:

• You should phone the database that your dog's microchip is registered with and report them missing.
• Contact your local dog warden service, details of which can be found in Related Information.
• Notify your local vets of the situation regarding your lost dog.
• Visit places where you regularly take your dog for walks.
• Posting on social media that your dog is missing can be a very effective way of alerting family and friends that are close by.

Please see the websites in Related Information for more help and advice.

The police no longer have responsibility for stray dogs.

If you have found a healthy looking dog you should try to contact the owner. If it is safe, you should check whether the dog is wearing a tag or contact a local vet to scan the dog for a microchip.

If you are unable to locate or find the owner you should contact your local authority and ask to speak with the local dog warden. The dog warden has a responsibility to collect all stray dogs that are found in a public place. The website outlined in Related Information will help you contact your local authority. The RSPCA will not collect healthy stray dogs unless it is in danger, sick or injured. If so, please contact the RSPCA's 24 hour a day cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

Dogs have better hearing than humans do and for them fireworks are extremely loud and scary.

Keep the animal indoors, close the windows and have the TV on or music playing to muffle the sound of the fireworks.

There are some products that vets may be able to offer to help keep your dog calm.

If at all possible try and make sure someone is at home with the animal as it will be comforting to have a familiar face around.

Dogs can also benefit from having a safe space in the house where they can hide. A crate covered with a blanket for example can help with settling a nervous dog.

If the bite has broken the skin, you should clean the wound immediately by running warm tap water over it for a couple of minutes. You should then seek immediate medical attention (further information on treating animal bites can be found in Related Information).

If you are attacked by a dog or are in fear of being attacked whilst on a property, and the person in charge had no proper control of it then the dog could be said to be dangerously out of control. Q653 provides further information on this.

You need to report the incident to the police who will carry out an investigation. The courts have the power to order that the dog is kept under proper control by enforcing the owner to take reasonable measures such as muzzling or neutering, or in certain cases they may be destroyed.

If you have reason to suspect cruelty to an animal is taking place, then contact the RSPCA's 24 hour a day cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.
It is important to have ready the following details -

• a description of the animal(s) involved
• the exact location of the animal(s)
• the names and addresses of any other witnesses
• the registration number of any vehicle involved, and the name and address of the suspect(s) if known.

The police also have powers to deal with cruelty to animals but the RSPCA are the experts in the field and are better equipped to deal with it.

It is an offence not to clean up after a dog that has fouled. However, it is the responsibility of the local authority although some PSCOs can deal with this offence. The maximum fine for this offence is £2500 or alternatively councils can issue a fixed penalty notice.

If you know someone who fails to clean up after their dog, you should make a note of the time and date of the offence, the details of the dog owner and then contact your local authority who will advise you how to proceed.

See the website in Related Information to find your local authority in order to report dog fouling.

No, the police do not have the resources to run courses for dog owners.

The RSPCA do have online training tips for training your dog (see Related Information) and advise that when looking for a dog trainer they are accredited by The Association of Pet Dog Trainers to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge and skills. The link under the Related Information tab allows you to search for accredited dog trainers in your area.

Unfortunately most police forces do not provide this service as standard and if they did it may just be for a special event or occasion.
However any requests can be made via local policing teams or schools that have dedicated police officers or PCSOs.

You must be a police officer and have two years of service in the police in order to apply to become a dog handler. Your home is checked to see if it is suitable for a police dog, namely off road parking and enough space in the garden to house two kennels. You will then have to successfully complete a suitability course to determine whether you could handle a police dog.

The role of dog trainer within police forces has recently opened to non-police officers in some police forces. However, for the present time the majority of the trainers will be police officers. To become a dog trainer for the police service you must have considerable experience in training working dogs and possess either the Home Office Instructors certificate or the ability to gain the certificate. You would ideally possess some type of teaching certificate and have a proven record of teaching.

For more information on becoming a dog trainer, please contact your local police force.

Some animals are not included in the definition of 'animal' given in the legislation, so you are not required to report accidents with them to the police.

A dog (as well as a goat, horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep and pig) are animals covered within the remit of the legislation; therefore, you are required by law to report any accident with these animals to the police.

However, if the animal you have hit is not listed above it may still be worth contacting the police to inform them of the incident. Additionally, the local authority will need to be contacted to remove the remains of the animal. Please see the website in Related Information to find your local authority.

Important: badgers are specially protected, it is an offence to possess one, dead or alive, (without the proper authority), so if you kill one, leave it at the roadside. If you are concerned, as stated above, you can voluntarily contact the police.

It is an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place, including private property.

All the circumstances will be considered and each decision will be judged individually. For example, if you deliberately set your dog onto the intruder and they suffer injury, you may be liable for prosecution and the dog ordered to be kept under control.

However, if you are not at home and your dog attacks an intruder, it is unlikely that you would be liable for the attack. This defence only applies in your home and not other premises or land i.e. if a person (intruder of otherwise) enters your garden and is bitten by your dog, you may be liable.

Q653 provides more information on dangerous dogs.

You can contact your local police (via 101) or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 and report the information to them. Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 deals with offences of possession and breeding of dogs bred for fighting such as a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa and other types of dogs designated by order. Q651 gives more detail on the types of dogs that are illegal to own in the UK.

The police will make any necessary enquiries to identify the type of dog and take appropriate action. If you are concerned over the way a dog is being treated, you may want to make enquiries with the RSPCA who will be able to offer advice.

Since 2016, dogs over 8 weeks old need to be microchipped by law.

The law means that:

• Any dog over 8 weeks old must be microchipped. Very small puppies or those with certain health problems can get a temporary exemption certificate from a vet, but still need to be microchipped when they are a bit bigger or healthier before it runs out .
• Owner details must be kept up-to-date and stored with an approved database company.
• Your dog must still wear a collar and tag with your contact details on when in public.
• If your dog is scanned by a dog warden and found not to have a microchip you'll have 21 days to get them microchipped. If you don't, you could face a fine of up to £500.

Please see 'related information' for links to relevant websites.