A 'stray' dog is any dog that is out in a public place and is unattended, regardless of whether it's wearing a collar or is microchipped. The dog may have been let out for exercise on its own, or may be an escaped pet. Stray dogs can cause problems including road accidents, attacks on children, adults or other animals, and indiscriminate fouling.

Dog wardens are responsible for the seizure of stray dogs in Middlesbrough. Any dog that is in a public place (including gated alleys) unsupervised may be seized by a dog warden.

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 taken to secure accommodation (kennels), to allow owners to come forward and claim them.

You can report a stray dog using our online reporting system.

Microchipping your dog

By law a dog in a public place must be wearing a collar and identification with its owner's name and address on and it must be microchipped. Owners can be fined £500 if this is not the case.

Microchipping is now recognised as the most effective and secure way of permanently identifying a pet. A unique identification number is registered to the animal and the owners' details are placed on a national database. It is estimated that less than half of all dogs that go missing each year are reunited with their owners.

Getting your dog microchipped and keeping the details up to date gives the assurance that should they become lost (or be stolen) they are more likely to be returned to you safe and sound.