20 stray dogs euthanised in Norfolk in five years
Four have been put down this year
Local authorities across Norfolk have euthanised almost two dozen dogs in the last five years, with the majority in just three districts, figures reveal.
Information obtained by the LDRS service shows Norfolk councils have put down 20 stray dogs since 2019, including four this year.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council has euthanised the most dogs, with six put to sleep, while Broadland and South Norfolk have destroyed five.
Meanwhile, Breckland has killed three dogs and North Norfolk District Council one.
The figures, which were obtained through Freedom of Information requests, show 1,832 stray canines were seized by council services between January 2019 and March 2023.
Of these, 641 were reclaimed by the owners and a further 1,115 rehomed or sent on to animal rescue centres. Around 1.1pc of the dogs taken in were put down.
Breckland has had the most stray dogs over the five years, with 519 seized. South Norfolk was second with 405.
On the other end of the spectrum, Norwich City Council has seized just 34 canines.
Figures could not be obtained for the West Norfolk Council area, which said it does not have a dog warden service.
Norwich City Council does not track what happens after animals have been left with kennels for seven days and, therefore, could not say how many are euthanised or rehomed.
"Rare circumstances"
A South Norfolk and Broadland spokesman said every effort is made to rehome a stray if it is not reclaimed by the owner.
They said: “Occasionally a stray dog is in such poor health, or is so aggressive and potentially dangerous, that after professional assessment it is decided that the particular dog cannot be rehomed.
“Under these, thankfully rare, circumstances a dog might be put to sleep.”
They said any dog is capable of escaping control of the owner, and one-off straying does not necessarily imply failure on the part of the owner, with hounds typically escaping from unsecured gardens or after being startled.
“However, when a dog is straying it runs the risk of causing dog fouling, attacking another dog, and causing wider safety concerns for people, such as running into the road and causing an accident.”
Dog owners are encouraged to ensure that their pets wear an identifying collar and are microchipped – which has been legally required since 2016 – enabling them to be returned quickly and inexpensively to the family home.
The fees associated with kennelling are the responsibility of the owner.
The spokesman added: “Any potential neglect and repeated dog straying would be a bigger cause for concern.
“We know that sometimes a dog owner may be worried or struggling to give the right care and a loving home to their dog.
“Our councils’ contracted dog warden service is friendly and professional, it likes to help and advise, and any dog owner with serious concerns is welcome to contact them.”
Rise in people giving up dogs
Alison Green, deputy manager at the Norfolk and Suffolk Animal Trust, said there has been an increase in people contacting them to give up their dogs in recent months.
Ms Green speculated that the rising cost of living, including vet bills, was pushing more owners to consider giving up their pets.
She said: “I had a lady on the phone today who said, ‘if you can’t take my dog I might just let it go’.
“I have never had that before, it’s hard to know why someone would want to do that.
“The last six months or so we have got lots more people phoning up to get rid of their dogs. It’s awful.”
The trust is small and currently full, meaning they can only take in more dogs when another is adopted.