One of the dogs collected by the Council's Stray Dog Service last year
Dog owners are being urged to make sure their pet’s microchip and ID tags are up to date after almost 500 dogs were found wandering in Cornwall last year.
In the year 2024/2025, Cornwall Council received 486 reports of stray dogs.
Lost dogs that are microchipped and have an ID tag on their collar are usually reunited with their owners quickly, but if the owner cannot be traced, the dog will be collected by Council’s Stray Dog service and placed in kennels. Dogs that are not claimed are rehomed via rehoming agencies.
Cornwall Council’s stray dog service, which received the top (platinum) award in the RSPCA PawPrints Awards 2025, is reminding dog owners that it is legal requirement for a dog’s microchip to be registered to the owner’s current address, and for their pets to wear an ID tag with their owner’s current contact details.
Sarah-Jane Brown, Group Leader for Community Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “The majority of dogs that are reported as strays are usually reunited with their owners fairly quickly.
“If their microchip details are up to date and they have an ID tag on their collar, it makes it so much easier for us to trace their families. This means the dogs are less likely be taken into our care, which saves the owner from having to pay kennel fees too.”
Last year, around 60 dogs found in Cornwall were rehomed after no one came forward to collect them.
They included three labradors and three spaniels that were found wandering on Bodmin Moor in September last year. Despite public appeals, the owner could not be traced and it’s believed the dogs, which were all reasonably healthy, had been abandoned.
Councillor Thalia Marrington, cabinet member with responsibility for Community Safety and Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “It’s really important that people take responsibility for their pets and look after them properly.
“With the festive season fast approaching, I really would urge people to think carefully about getting pets as presents, and for anyone who is welcoming a furry friend to the family to make sure they are microchipped and wear an ID tag on their collar whenever away from home.”
Find out more about microchipping, including how to update your pet’s microchip details, and ID tags on the Cornwall Council website.
Press release issued on October 28, 2025