Report a stray dog

The Dog Warden patrols North Ayrshire for stray dogs during office hours. The warden has powers to seize and impound any dog believed to be stray.

To report a stray dog contact:

• 01294 324339 Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.45pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm
• Police Scotland should be contacted outside of office hours

The local police station is notified when a dog is seized by the Dog Warden. If a dog is microchipped, or has a name tag, the warden will contact the owner.

If a dog is impounded, kennelling fees plus a fixed fine of £25 are due.

Stray dogs are taken to kennels at:

Ellandee Kennels, Balgray Road, Torranyard, Irvine KA11 2AP

Telephone: 01294 850270

Ellandee Kennels operate daily from 9am to 5pm.

Due to the requirements of the Dogs Trust, we will arrange for vaccinations within 2 days of the dogs being taken to the kennels.

It is best to contact the kennel operator first, where possible, to make arrangements prior to travelling.

Dogs are kept for the statutory period of 7 days unless reclaimed.

Our Dog Warden service Facebook page aims to reunite dogs and their owners.

Failure to collect a dog within 7 days will, in most cases, result in the dog being given to the Dogs Trust for rehoming. In very rare cases, the dog may be destroyed.

The Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 was brought in to promote responsible dog ownership.

It is an offence for any dog owner to allow their dog to be out of control in a way that causes alarm to other people or animals, or causes another person to be apprehensive.

The Act gives Local Authorities powers to take action against irresponsible dog owners, and to prevent dogs from becoming dangerous.

If North Ayrshire Council receives any complaints regarding out of control dogs, we will investigate. If, as part of our investigation, we conclude that the complaint is justified, we may provide the owner with advice, send them a warning letter or in some cases issue them with a Dog Control Notice.

A Dog Control Notice places conditions upon a dog owner to keep the dog under control and ensure the safety of other animals and people.

Typical conditions include:

• keeping their dog on a lead whilst out in public
• keeping a muzzle on a dog whilst out in public
• banning a dog from a place or a category of place, play parks for example
• attending dog training classes
• all dogs subject to a Dog Control Notice must be microchipped within 14 days of the Notice

If a Dog Control Notice is issued, the Local Authority has a duty to check compliance with this Notice. Failure to comply with the Notice is an offence, and if this offence is witnessed, the owner can be reported to the Procurator Fiscal, and may incur a fine up to £1000, or be disqualified from owning or keeping a dog.