The Council has a statutory duty under sections 149 and 150 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 199) and the Environmental Protection (Stray Dogs) Regulations 1992 (the 1992 Regulations) to collect and detain stray dogs.
On 6th April 2008, section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (CNEA 2005) came into force. This removed from the legislation any requirement for the Police to seize stray dogs or to accept any brought to them. As a result, Local Authority duties were extended, and they now have sole responsibility for discharging all stray dog functions.
The Local Authority therefore has a duty to collect and detain stray dogs for a period of seven (7) days, after which their ownership passes to the Council. Local Authorities also have a duty to return seized dogs to their owners and keep a register of such stray dogs.

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