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A Plymouth woman has been left upset and angry after she was ordered to pay £110 to get her missing dog back.

Emily Wall said her Irish Wolfhound, Blue, had been missing 'for around five minutes' when she noticed and informed the dog warden, local vets and posted on a number of social media pages.

Emily said Blue, who is just over a year old, had never gone missing before and quite quickly they received a message to say that her dog was just a street over.

But when Emily arrived, she was told that the dog warden had been to pick him up and estimates she arrived ten minutes before Blue was picked up.

At first, Emily said she was "very thankful" that he had been picked up by the dog warden as she knew he was safe, but her relief quickly turned to horror when she was "ordered" to pay £110.

A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said that the dog warden was called after a member of the public alerted them to a 'stray dog running across a busy road'.

The council said that Blue had a collar, but no tag. "Had the dog had a tag, the finder would no doubt have called them and not us", the spokesperson added.

(Image: Emily Wall)

Emily wants to make people aware about the charges other dog owners may face if their dog is missing and picked up by the dog warden.

She said after she posted on social media, she was contacted by a lady who told her the same thing happened to her dog, but as she could not afford the charges, "she never knew what happened to her dog".

Emily is now urging people to "think twice" before calling the dog warden.

She said: "I understand we’re not all in a position to help a dog sometimes but, they're are people always willing to help.

"I’d be happy to help anybody that knocked on my door! Please think twice before calling a dog warden due to costs and how they made me and my family feel.

"There is so much help out there already and it’s probably safer taking the situation into our own hands. I think we all want what’s best for our pets, they’re family members at the end of the day."

Emily believes Blue jumped over a wall in the garden when she was getting ready to take him on a walk.

She claims she was told that the charges would increase if she did not pay on the same day, as it was close to 5pm and the council increase the fee by day.

Day one is £110, day two £141, day three £220 and then increasing gradually up until day seven, when it reaches £269.

If the dog is not collected by day seven, the council begin a re-homing process.

(Image: Emily Wall)

Emily said: "I was very shocked he had escaped as this has never happened before.

"I was very upset on the phone to the lady from the council as she kept saying I would have to pay or else my prices would increase and he would be re-homed within a week.

"I can’t imagine this happening to someone who can’t afford these steep bills or drive to collect their dog.

"The dog warden even told us that if this had happened on a Friday it would cost £250 plus, as they aren’t open on weekends and he would have been driven out of Devon."

Emily claims that Blue was "distressed" when she was reunited with him and was unhappy with the facilities he was left in.

She said: "Upon arriving at the car park I could hear Blue barking and sounding distressed before we had seen him.

"After driving around we found him in the back of a dog van with the doors open left unattended. We waited [over ten minutes] until the dog warden had turned up.

"We were very upset and angry as you can imagine, it literally cost me £110 to have blue sat in the back of a dog van unattended with no water or anyone with him."

Emily said she feels "lucky" she was able to afford the costs.

(Image: Emily Wall)

She said: "I’m lucky I was in a position to pay but so upset this is how we were dealt with and charged for! This isn’t ideal and me and my family firmly believe this cannot keep happening."

A Plymouth City Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that we picked this dog up as a stray having been called by the member of the public who had found it running across a busy road.



“This dog had a collar, but no tag, which is an offence under the Control of Dogs Act 1992. Had the dog had a tag, the finder would no doubt have called them and not us.





“In this case, we received a report after 3pm, that a dog had been found without its owner. We have a legal duty to collect a stray dog so the officer went to the location, picked up the dog and had only been back at the Council offices for approximately seven minutes before the owner arrived to collect it.



"The dogs are looked after whilst in the care of the council, with food, water and shelter. If it is not claimed within seven days then we begin a rehoming process.



“We appreciate that dogs escape from time to time but it is a legal requirement for a dog to wear a collar and tag whilst in a public place, and we would much rather a finder returns a dog to its owner without the Council getting involved.



“However when we do, it is only fair that the dog owner pays the costs associated with this.”

What are the rules on stray and lost dogs?

The council website states that any dog that is out on its own, is classed as a stray dog.

It states: "Any dog that's unsupervised in a public or private place may be taken by us. However, we will generally only come and collect a stray dog if it is being held by someone.

"All dogs must wear a collar and tag and be microchipped.

"If we collect a stray dog it will be kennelled for seven days and then we'll arrange for the dog to be re-homed by an animal welfare charity unless it is claimed by the owner.

"We don't provide a 24 hour a day service or provide a place to take stray dogs. If you find a dog outside our office hours keep the dog until the next working day, then call us on 01752 304147."

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The opening hours for the dog warden are between Monday and Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.

The website states that the council keep a record of all lost and stray dogs and if you have lost your dog, you should complete the form, here.

It adds: "You should keep your dog under your control at all times. Make sure your garden is secure so your dog can't get out and keep your dog on a lead when you're out in public places."

The following websites may help you with finding your dog:

How much will it cost to get my dog back?

The website reads: "You have to pay the following release fee before you can get your dog back.

"This fee is based on the legal penalty for stray dogs and the costs the Council incurs.

"Please call 01752 304147 to arrange to pay for your dog. You can pay by debit or credit card over the phone.

"You must pay by 5pm Mondays to Thursdays and by 4.30pm on Fridays to get your dog back on that day otherwise the charge will increase."

Day one - £110

Day two - £141

Day three - £220

Day four - £232

Day five - £244

Day six - £257

Day seven £269

The website adds: "If you're unable to care for your dog you must not abandon it or you could be prosecuted.

"You should look for a way to re-home it."