Who let the dogs out?

So, you’ve found a stray dog at 11 pm on a Sunday night. He has no visible signs of identification and it’s a bit late in the evening to start knocking on doors!

What do you do??

Did you know that since April 2008, the Police are no longer responsible for stray dogs and that the responsibility now lies with your local Council? Did you also know that if you find a dog straying, it is your legal responsibility to help to reunite the dog with its owner?

Grove Lodge Veterinary Hospital in Broadwater is now the local authority  acceptance point for stray dogs found out of hours (ie before 8 am and after 6 pm, seven days a week) in the areas covered by Worthing Borough Council and Adur District Council. If you find a dog wandering between those times, please bring him to Grove Lodge. The Dog Warden will then collect him the next morning. At all other times, call the Dog Warden on 01903 221410.

Please call us first on 01903 234866 to let us know you are coming and an approximate time of arrival. This allows the nurses to prepare the paperwork and a kennel. You, the finder, will not incur any charges as, once the dog arrives at the Hospital, he will become the responsibility of the Council, but you will need to take a moment to complete some paperwork.

Subsequently, the dog will be examined for injury, scanned for a microchip, logged on our lost and found register, fed, given a comfy bed for the night and collected by the Dog Warden the following day. If he has a microchip, our staff will call Identichip to obtain the owner’s details and call them so they can be reunited with their dog.

If you are unlucky enough for this to happen to your dog and you are happily reunited, please expect to pay the fee charged by the Council for this service. THE FEE IS £46 AND IS IMPOSED BY THE COUNCIL AND NOT BY GROVE LODGE. It is worth remembering that if you collect your dog from the holding kennels the next day, the release fee is £58 and increases every day by £12 until the 7th day when the dog is put up for rehoming.

It’s worth mentioning at this point of the major benefits of having your pets microchipped. If a dog (or cat) strays and has a microchip, their family can be contacted and everyone reunited very quickly. Without a chip or collar, it is impossible to trace the animal’s owner and we can only rely on owners being able to track down their pet. Please note: If the Dog Warden finds a dog with no means of identification, the owner has only seven days in which to find and claim their dog before it is rehomed.

During August and September, we are offering microchips for £12.50 (usually £16.50) – a very small price to pay for peace of mind.

Lulu gets a nasty bite from a slippery customer! by Nicola Bromley, BVSC, CERT SAM

Recently, here at Grove Lodge Veterinary Hospital, we have had a run of dogs being bitten by adders. These snakes are often found on our local downs especially in heathland areas, woodland edges. Generally they will avoid people and animals but occasionally often young inquisitive dogs will find and surprise these snakes and unfortunately get bitten.

Adders are the only venomous snake in the UK. They are identified by a brown/black zigzag pattern on their back with a ‘V’ shaped marking on the head, at full maturity they are about 50-60 cm long.

If bitten, dogs often develop a marked swelling around the bite site which is commonly on a limb or face. They often become quiet and subdued and sometimes slightly wobbly quite quickly after the incident. The best thing to do if you think your dog has been bitten is to get immediate veterinary help as the sooner we can give supportive treatment then the better the general outcome. Most dogs will just be very swollen around the bite as seen by poor Lulu in the photo but some dogs will develop serious side effects such as blood clotting problems, low blood pressure or necrosis (tissue breakdown) around the bite site.

Please remember that the adder is a protected animal and should be left alone. If you are aware of adders in a certain area then put your dog on a lead and warn fellow dog walkers.

Cheap as chips!

Quick note to let everyone know that during August and September here at Grove Lodge, all microchips will be reduced from £16.50 to £12.50. I am sure all pet owners will consider this a very small price for the peace of mind of knowing your pet can be returned to you quickly and easily if it becomes lost . It is particularly important to know that if the Dog Warden finds a dog who is not chipped or wearing a collar, the owner has only seven days to find and claim their dog before it is put up for rehoming.

Microchips are inserted by injection, slightly larger than a normal vaccination needle and can be done in an ordinary consultation.

Book an appointment today at your local Grove Lodge branch.