Don’t lose heart! Many Waltham Forest 4 Dogs members have been reunited with their lost furry friends. These are the things that have helped our members:
– Register your dog on DogLost.co.uk, and check their ‘Found Dogs’ section. DogLost’s amazing volunteers will swing into action to help.
– Inform your microchip company, as they will flag it on their system.
– Post a photo and details on our Facebook page, so our members can keep an eye out.
– Log your lost dog with the Waltham Forest Dog Enforcement Team via the council’s call centre on 020 8496 3000, and your message will be referred to the DET to action asap. Make sure you get a reference ‘T’ number. (You can send an email as back up to dogteam@walthamforest.gov.uk including the ‘T’ number, but the initial report must be made with the call centre for the report to be logged.) The DET must keep all found stray dogs for seven days, before passing them on to a rescue centre or putting them to sleep. If they consider the dog is BSL-type (breed specific legislation type), they may hold the dog and take legal action. A register of their found dogs is now available at reception at Sycamore House (behind the Assembly Hall) and open during normal office hours, and is updated weekly. They are also now tweeting found dogs @wfcouncil. Part of our latest campaign is to make this a more comprehensive online service.
– If your dog is lost in Epping Forest/Corporation of London land, call their emergency number and they’ll alert their forest team: 020 8532 1010. They will also retweet you if you alert them @CoLEppingForest.
– When Waltham Forest’s DET has held a dog for seven days, it is often passed to the rescue charity All Dogs Matter, 020 8341 3196.
– Call other local rescues and vets.
– Contact other local authority dog teams and rescues. SDK, the company that collects dogs for Redbridge, feature the dogs online here. And click for contacts for Hackney Council’s animal welfare services and Haringey’s dog wardens. Our dogs have been found in neighbouring boroughs.
– Let as many people know about your lost dog as possible. One stolen dog was reunited with his owner after a member of the public recognised her in a neighbour’s back yard.
Dogs Trust also have an excellent checklist of things you should do.
If you find that your dog has been seized under Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING but do call DDA Watch asap. There is more info here.