Urgent help needed please.
 

Sorry if this is in the wrong section, but I'm in a mess. I went to work tonight and that was bad enough in the snow. I have 3 boxer dogs at home, I breed them (well will be doing) I'm a responsible dog owner and am registered with the kennel club etc. Anyhow when I got home from work I had no dogs. I was frantic, I NEVER let them out on their own and never without a lead. My back gate was wide open ( I always keep it locked ) and I don't know if someone was trying to break into my house or steal my dogs. As I was running round like a headless chicken and preparing to ring the police to report my dogs stolen, I got a phone call from a lady saying my dogs were in the pound. Someone had called the police because they were runnng about in the street near me. They came and caught the dogs and called the dog warden. I can apparently have them back after 9am in the morning but will have to pay a fine of approximately £78 per dog. If I don't pay I can't have them back. I fully understand that I can't have 3 boxer dogs running riot in the street but I didn't let them out. Is there anything I can do? I feel a bit hard done by especially as I have one that's deaf, she's going to be really confused. Thanks, sorry for the long post. :confused:

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

If was me I'd contacted the kennel club...The home for dog owners and those working with dogs - The Kennel Club and get some advice

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Sorry to hear of your plight.

£78 seems a bit steep for one night for all three dogs never mind per animal.

Dunno what the answer but I go on a pet forum and will pose the question there, see if they have any guidance for you.

P.S. will PM you the site then you can look at any feedback yourself.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Thankyou, I can't see properly for crying.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Oh poor Sue . what a plight. Don't know much about these matters, but don't think the news would be good.

Were they in the backyard ? Seems, certainly, like someone has climbed over and let them out. The pound will have no sympathy with this, they have rounded them up, looked after them and the charge for the night is as stated. No grey areas I would think.

How to get it back ? Should think virtually impossible unless you have some sort of insurance to cover outside premises for theft, etc., but may not cover this.

Even if reported to the police, they will certainly look into the fact that someone was trying to break into your house, but what can they do about the dog escape and recompense for the collection ? Nothing, unless the culprits are caught and you could issue a private prosecution or summat like that.

Aaaw .. so sorry ... but at least they have come to no harm xx

Not much help am I ? Just trying to be realistic.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

See Sue .. kind people on here for you.

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The thing is the dogs weren't outside, they were in the house.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

.Have neighbours complained about their barking when you were out?

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

No, nothing like that. My son was in with them for a while too. They weren't on their own for long. I was only out for two and a half hours and my son was still at home when I went to work.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

So how did they get outside :confused:

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

I have found a webpage quoting fees

Reclaiming Dogs

Aspen Valley is open Monday to Friday 10.00 - 17.00, and weekends 09.00 - 13.00, for reclaiming dogs, by prior appointment. Dogs only released once due fees have been paid.
Aspen Valley Kennels

Lower Aspen Lane, Oswaltwistle, near Accrington, BB5 4NY

Reclaim fee:

£60, plus £18 for first night, plus £8 for each subsequent night. Dogs held for 7 days before being destroyed or made available for re-homing.

If you have not been burgled the presumption is your son was negligent

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Thanks Margaret, I've been looking for that and couldn't find it.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Legal advice here
Doglaw
but it will cost - and I don't think you have a case - better pay up

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Wow sorry to read this,i can fully understand you being upset i like you have boxers and have had for 25yrs.
One thing i stipulate to all my puppy buyers is if you decide to leave them make sure your doors are locked,boxers have a canny habit of learning to open doors at a very young age.
As for paying the kennel to reclaim your dogs this is i believe normal practice for any kennel that the council uses to charge so much.I just wish in some circumstances they would scan the dogs and if chipped hold them until they can contact the owner to verify if their dogs where out unknown,or had they been set free.lots of dogs get thrown out this time of yr,but i do wish the dog wardens would scan first
hope you can some way find the money boxers like their humans and home comforts and fret out of their comfort zones
Not sure that the KC will help you out, are you on their accredited breeders list or are your dogs just KC reg

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Why? If any dog is out on its own either by accident (read poor ownership) or let out on purpose they still cause the same problems. Dog fouling, accidents with cars, attacking people in the street etc.

It is like saying we will let you off if you accidentally break the speeding limit.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

I think the thing which would concern me even more is how they managed to get out in the first place. I could understand it if they were kept in the back yard and some one had climbed over and opened the gate and let them out, but being in the house itself, seems very strange to say the least, were there any signs of a break in?

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accidents do happen,i feel your not a dog lover,innocent humans get attacked by other humans in the street,and cause accidents too,

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Accidents do not happen, they always have a cause. Would you have been of that opinion if those 3 boxers had attacked one of your children?

I sound like I work for the HSE now :D

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so we have a mr perfect do we? very much doubt the dogs would have attacked my children,as my children do not go out without me,you are making the dogs out as vicious .not all dogs are!some humans are worse,

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

You are looking at this one isolated case. Look at the bigger picture of dogs that are allowed to get onto the street by themselves.

A lot of fouling is done by dogs that just have the back opened and them thrown out for 10 minutes because the owner is too lazy to take them out.

I posted a story of 2 bull mastiffs that I watched rip a puppy to bits then turn on a young boy causing him serious injuries. They got out of a gate "by accident". If the gate had been locked then no one could have opened it to let them out.

Like I said accidents are caused.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Must admit, I have noticed that is very rare to see a dog roaming about on its own now. I always think when I see one, that it may have slipped its lead or got out 'by mistake'.

Still, would be interesting to read any reports the dog warden has to see if this is the case.

Mind you, not sure how far records would go back ? Did they have a dog warden in the 1940/50/60's .. really can't remember.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Cant find Hyndburns info but look at this Wychavon Disrict Council Stray dog statistics no real change over the last 3 years there.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Keeping any animal is an expensive luxury, which many people do not realise until after they have acquired one.
You take on responsibility for a life which has needs and emotions which differ from human life.
You also have the responsibilty for any action by that non human life which causes any distress and/or inconvenience to others.
This is a more demanding comittment than having children, because children mature and develop the capacity to look after themselves.
Pets will always be dependant.

Before deciding to have a pet animal you need to first examine why you want one.
When man first domesticated dogs and cats as pets, they did have a useful purpose.
Dogs kept wolves from flocks and helped shepherd those flocks.
Cats hunted and devoured rodent vermin which so aided human disease control.

Those functions are still valid today - if you are a farmer - a dog helps with livestock control.
If you have rodent infestations - a cat will solve it - but there are now cheaper ways which don't need any care commitment.

So you are probably swayed by the thought of having a 'friend' who will always love you and never questions what you do,
and regards you as their master.

If that is your reason, it is not a very sound reason, because it shows that your relationships with other humans is lacking these factors,
which you regard a need, but should you really need that much control over any living thing?

If you already have a pet, it will have gained your affection and although you may have doubts about why you ever got one, it is too late now.
You are comitted to safeguard that life and prevent it from damaging anyone elses life.

If you have no pets please think twice before getting one - many people just aren't capable of making a good job of it

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

happens all the time up here... theres a dog a few doors away that spends all its time outside and another that barks and scares the hell outta ty.

the one next door is the worse tho and it never goes out, just stays in the house barking all day and all night! sure thats gunna impress me loads in a few weeks!

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Thanks Neil .... that's interesting ... is down quite a bit though from 2003/4.

Think would have to have a 10 year span to really judge.

Was interested to note the figures 'returned to owners without kenneling'

Higher than those taken to the kennels.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Report it now then to the dog warden and RSPCA. Dogs should not live inside all the time

This is from Ribble Valley Council site

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This is a little ambiguous though from the HBC site:-

'The first time a dog is caught straying, the dog wardens will try to trace the owners and return it.
Any other stray will be kept safely for up to seven days.'


In that case, did the Sue's dogs not have any name tags or chips ?


Seems they do a dog chipping service @ £9.50 .. not expensive, and there is also a channel for people on benefits.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

I think it means they will not charge the first time the dog is out but will charge for repeat offenders.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Sorry if I caused a bit of a to do, I didn't mean to. Thankyou all for your replies. I've now got my dogs back and paid my money out. Apparently, the police rounded them up and called the kennels. There has been no mention of the dog warden. The animals are all microchipped etc but no one rang me until they were at the kennels. They've never been out before without being walked by us on a lead.
Thanks Katex for that from HBC, I'm going to take this further and investigate a bit more.
Thankyou all.
Sue

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Glad to see you got them back safe and sound.

I suspect the Police don't have the chip reading machine so easiest to just take them to the kennels to be checked.

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

All police stations are now equipped with a chip scanner,but seeing Spring gardens is only manned by civillians easy way out is call the kennels who by the way is Hynburns dog warden.I think it was in the late 80s that Accrington police did away with their dog kennels in the back.Isnt it law that a dog out in any public area should be wearing a collar and be tagged and be on a lead.Obviously in this instance these dogs got out unaware to their owner

Glad your dogs are now home.i bet they are in need of a bath after being there:rolleyes:h

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

It is law yes and has been for almost 17 years look at this site for info

This bit may be why they were taken away

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

Thank you Neil but i knew it was Law,sorry if i phrased it wrong also i dont think it helped them with being three out together..termed as a pack.
with owning/showing dogs it does help if you know where you stand regards dogs and the law,same for putting signs up on your gates the wrong terminolgy can land ya in hot water.Beware dogs running free is ok to have.but you mention beware guard dogs thats a whole different issue

Re: Urgent help needed please.
 

If the dogs had been classed as behaving dangerously she could have been fined under the dangerous dogs act, its big fine as well. The definition of dangerous is interesting as well.