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
We're currently making new arrangements for the collection of stray dogs within the borough of Rochdale. We expect these to be in place by October 2024. We'll update this page with more information once it's available. Until this time we will not be able to collect any lost or stray dogs. Thank you for your patience.
If you find a lost or stray dog:
- You can take the lost or stray dog to Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Home any day of the week between 9am–4pm.
- If you cannot keep the dog secure, please contact an animal rescue centre who may be able to assist you
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 there's a stray dog on land owned by a housing association, 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
How to report a dangerous dog
If a dog is acting dangerously, aggressively, or has bitten somebody:
- Call the police on 101, or
- Dial 999 in an emergency.