Animal welfare

How to report issues

Stray dogs

When a lost or stray dog is picked up by an Animal Welfare Officer, all reasonable steps are taken to contact the dog owner.  

If the owner cannot be identified, the dog is kept for seven days. After seven days, the dog is transferred to a suitable Rehoming Centre.

Fees

Stray dogs are cared for in kennels and there may be charges for this. The dog will not be returned to its owner until the fees are paid.

Report a stray dog 

To report a stray dog, please call our Animal Welfare Officer on 0333 335 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, please inform the Animal Welfare Officer. You can either do this by calling 0333 335 5347 or emailing animal.welfare@islington.gov.uk.

We also suggest registering your dog as missing and informing your chip provider who will record this on the chip record. A register is kept of all stray and lost dogs picked up or reported. 

Contact 

You can contact the Animal Welfare Officer on 0333 335 5347 during the following times: 

• Monday to Friday, 8am – 10pm (last call out 9pm)
• Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays, 8am – 6pm (last call out 5pm)

Outside of these times, if you can take the dog to a vet or rehoming centre, please do so as they will be able to check the chip of a dog and try and contact the owner. If you can keep the dog safe, please do so.  Please call the above 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.  

Dangerous dog behaviour

The Police hold the responsibility for dealing with dangerous dogs.  If you are at immediate risk from a dangerous dog, please call the police on 999.  If you want to report your concerns about dangerous dog behaviour, you can 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 a suspected incident of animal cruelty, you can contact the RSPCA or call 0300 1234 999.

Alternatively, you can contact the animal welfare department at animal.welfare@islington.gov.uk.

Contact information 

• Address: Waste and Commercial Operations, 1 Cottage Road, N7 8TP
• Tel: 020 7527 3222 
• Fax: 020 7527 8710 
• Email animal.welfare@islington.gov.uk

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

The lost dogs and cats line uses a central database for people who have lost or found a pet in London and matches up or reunites pets with owners. They have a contract with the police to pick up dogs from all boroughs, so many people do not realise their pet could be at Battersea.

Battersea Lost Dogs and Cats Line: 020 7627 9245. Calls cost 60 pence per minute (this charge helps run the line).

Dead animals collection service

The Boroughwide Services Team carry out the removal of any dead animals in public areas or wild animals on private property. They will be cleared within 24 working hours of the job being received by them. To report a dead animal to collect, please call Access Islington on 0207 527 2000 or email contact@islington.gov.uk.

Get your dog microchipped

You are legally required to make sure your dog is:

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

If you don't, 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 its previous owner.