A stray dog is a dog without its owner, or another authorised person, that's in a public place or a place it's not allowed to be.
Before you report a lost or stray dog, you may want to check if it has an owner. If the dog is friendly, and if you're happy to approach it, you can check if it's wearing a collar. Collars usually have the owner's phone number written on the tag.
If you have the owner's contact details, you can let them know you've found their dog. If the owner says they're coming to get their dog, there's no need to report the dog to us.
How to report a stray dog
You can report a lost or stray dog directly to the Animal Wardens, who collect stray dogs on behalf of the council.
You can report any of the following dogs to the Animal Wardens:
- Dogs running around in public without an owner.
- Dogs that are left tied up in public without an owner.
- Dogs that are off the lead and are not being controlled by their owner.
- Dogs that are let out to exercise by themselves rather than being walked by the owner.
The Animal Wardens will collect contained stray dogs 7 days a week, from 9am-12 midnight. They'll require the following information:
- The type of dog or description of the dog
- The location of the dog, giving as much detail as possible
- The time the dog was found or seized
- A telephone number to contact you
Call the Animal Wardens on 0161 334 0042
How to report a dangerous dog
If a dog is acting dangerously, aggressively, or has bitten somebody, call the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
Other organisations you can report stray dogs to
If you've found a lost or stray dog in any of the following situations, please contact the relevant organisation:
- If there's a road traffic accident involving a dog, call the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.
- If there's a stray dog on private land, you should report this to the land owner. If you're not sure how to contact the land owner, you can call the Animal Wardens on 0161 334 0042
- If there's a stray dog on land owned by a housing association, including Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, you should report this to the housing association directly. View contact details for housing associations in the borough
- Any other stray animals such as stray cats. Contact the RSPCA to report stray pets
What happens when we collect stray dogs
We take lost or stray dogs we find to Manchester Dogs Home. Contact Manchester Dogs Home
If you require further information about the Animal Wardens: