Stray pets

What to do if you find stray dogs, cats or small animals in Gloucestershire.

It is very worrying for pet owners when their beloved pets go missing, and we are always grateful when members of the public care enough to stop and help an animal who is straying, but there are different recommendations for what you should do depending on the type of pet you believe to be stray.

In all cases for every pet, we advise pet owners to have their pets microchipped and make sure their details are kept up to date with the microchip company. Any stray pet who is taken to a vet, an animal shelter, dog warden or is found by a local pet reuiniting group can quickly find it’s way home because the first thing they will do is scan for a chip and call the registered number.

What to do if you have lost your pet

If you have lost your pet, report them as missing with the microchip company and spread the word on social media pages dedicated to reuniting missing pets with their owners such as Animals Lost and Found in Gloucestershire on Facebook.

If you have lost your dog then you should also contact the Dog Warden that covers your area – contact numbers can be found in the stray dogs section below – and you can report them missing on the Dog Lost website at www.doglost.co.uk

What to do if you find a stray pet

Please check our guidance for what to do if you believe you have found a stray pet.

Stray cats

Every month we receive calls about ‘stray’ cats which potentially may not actually be homeless and in some cases have had cats brought to us (and after scanning for a microchip) find that they actually belong to the neighbour!

Often cats are considered stray because they come uninvited in to the home and hang around, nearly always there is food involved! If you think that that a stray cat has adopted you, it’s worth taking a moment to consider cats and their habits.

They are, by nature lazy creatures, sleeping for around 16 hours a day and will take the easiest food source they can find. They are also greedy, and will stay in the area and eat all the food offered to them.

If you receive a visit from an unknown cat and feed it, there is every chance that the cat will come back again and again looking for another easy meal.

Before long a cat that is allowed out during the day will turn up on your doorstep for second breakfast and not leave again until it knows tea will be served back at its original home. In fact, if the cat is not permanently in your garden or home then it almost certainly has somewhere else to go and could be someone else’s beloved pet.

What to do if you suspect a cat is a stray
  • Try not feed it and do not invite it in to your home.
  • Unless the cat is in obvious need of medical assistance it is best to ignore them.

If the cat becomes a permanent fixture in your garden and does not appear to be leaving then it may be worth taking it to a local vet or animal shelter.

Why take it to a rescue centre?
  • Vets and shelters will be able to scan the animal for a microchip.
  • They may then be able to contact the owner and inform them of your frequent visitor.
  • Obtain a temporary collar from Cheltenham Animal Shelter or Cats Protection

Temporary collars are placed around the cat’s neck with your details, so an owner can call and confirm the cat is not a stray and is going home each night!

Please note Cheltenham Animal Shelter does not collect stray cats. However cats can be brought to the shelter in order for us to scan the animal for a microchip.

If you would like more advice on how to deal with a stray cat making itself at home then you can always contact the Shelter on 01242 523521

Stray dogs

Cheltenham Animal Shelter does not collect stray dogs or accept them directly from members of the public. If you have found a stray dog and it is contained then please call your local dog warden, using the contact details below for your area. 

Cotswold District Council

Telephone – 01285 623000 | Out of hours – 0151 343 2942 | Website – Cotswold District Council

Cheltenham, Gloucester & Tewkesbury Borough Councils (plus Worcester, Wychavon, Malvern, Redditch, Bromsgrove & Kidderminster)

Cheltenham, Gloucester & Tewkesbury Borough Council’s stray dog service is provided by Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS).

Telephone – 01905 822799 | Website – Worcester Regulatory Services (WRS)

Out of hours:

Forest of Dean Council

Telephone – 01594 812264 | Out of hours – 01594 822596 | Website – Forest of Dean District Council

Stroud District Council

Telephone – 01453 754491 or 01453 754478 | Out of hours – 01453 766321 | Website – Stroud District Council

Herefordshire Council

Telephone – 01432 261761 | Website – Herefordshire Council

Gloucestershire Police deal with dangerous dogs or dogs acting in a dangerous manner. Please call 101 or 999 depending on the urgency of the situation.

Stray small animals

If you find a stray small animal, and it is safe to contain, please take it to a local vet to see if it is microchipped as many pet rabbits, birds, ferrets, tortoises and other small animals are microchipped.

If the pet is not chipped, please contact us and we will try to help. Please do not leave the small animal to fend for itself. Contrary to popular belief, domesticated animals are very unlikely to be able to survive in the wild.

Please note we are only able to assist with rabbits, rodents and some species of pet birds.