Animal welfare

Stray dogs

When a lost or stray dog is picked up by an Animal Welfare Officer, they take all reasonable steps to contact the dog's owner.  

If they can't identify the owner, we keep the dog for seven days. After seven days, we transfer the dog to a suitable rehoming centre.

Fees

There may be charges when stray dogs are cared for in kennels. We will not return the dog to an owner until the fees are paid.

Report a stray dog

To report a stray dog, call our Animal Welfare Officer on 033 3335 5347. An Animal Welfare Officer will only attend if the dog has been contained, for example in a location where it cannot escape or held on a lead.

If your dog is lost

If your dog is lost, inform the Animal Welfare Officer. You can do this by calling 033 3335 5347 or emailing animal.welfare@islington.gov.uk.

You should register your dog as missing and inform your microchip provider who will record this on the chip record. There is a register of all stray and lost dogs picked up or reported.

Contact

Contact the Animal Welfare Officer on 033 3335 5347 Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays, from 8am to 4pm - last call out at 3pm.

Outside of these times, if you can take the dog to a vet or rehoming centre, they will be able to check the chip of the dog and try to contact the owner.

Call the phone number and leave a message giving your details and the location of the dog and an Animal Welfare Officer will arrange to collect the dog during the above times. Do your best to keep the dog safe in the meantime if you can.

Dangerous dog behaviour

The police are responsible for dealing with dangerous dogs.

If you are at immediate risk from a dangerous dog, call the police on 999.

If you want to report your concerns about dangerous dog behaviour, report this to the police on 101 or contact your Local Safer Neighbourhood team.

Animal cruelty or neglect

To report an animal that may have been abandoned in a property or you suspect animal cruelty, you can contact the RSPCA or call 030 0123 4999.

Noise from animals

Report nuisance noise from animals such as barking. 

Dogs in dog-free zones

Report dogs in dog-free zones.

Animal Welfare contact information

• Tel: 020 7527 3222
• Fax: 020 7527 8710
• Email animal.welfare@islington.gov.uk

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has a lost dogs and cats line that can help reunite lost pets and owners. They have a list of people who have lost or found a pet in London. They also have a contract with the police to pick up dogs from all boroughs, so your lost pet may be at Battersea.

Battersea lost dogs and cats line: 020 7627 9245. Calls cost 60p per minute.

Dead animals collection service

The Boroughwide Services team remove any dead animals in public areas or wild animals on private property. They will clear dead animals within 24 working hours of receiving the job. To report a dead animal to collect, call Access Islington on 020 7527 2000 or report it online.

Get your dog microchipped

By law, you must make sure your dog is:

• microchipped
• registered to an approved database by the time it is eight weeks old.

If you don't do this, you could be fined up to £500.

You must also make sure your dog's registration details are up to date. Your dog must be registered to you, not the previous owner.