We have a variety of dogs and cats and other animals available to rehome from our pet rescue animal shelters.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue can offer you advice on animals from pet rabbits, pet mice, dogs and cats to chickens, ducks, horses and goats. We have pet rescue centres in Dorset and Devon and rescue and rehome many animals to loving new homes.

Pet rescue - lost and found animals - stray dog and cats:

Thousands of dogs and cats are lost by their owners each year. The vast majority of stray dogs are found and processed through the stray dog system operated by local authorities. The public is generally unaware of the system for stray dogs and many dog owners do not appreciate their legal responsibilities and the process for recovering lost dogs.

Under the Control of Dogs Order of 1992 every dog, while in a highway or place of public resort, must wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on it or on a plate or badge attached to it. If a collar is not worn when required, the dog may be seized by the dog warden or police and treated by them as a stray. Further, the owner or any person causing or permitting the dog to be in a highway or public resort are each guilty of an offence and may be prosecuted and fined.

From the 1st April 1992, each district council is required to appoint a dog warden. It is his duty to seize any dog which he believes to be a stray and detain it.

Many dog owners mistakenly think it is best to remove the collar when the dog is in the house. Please do not - your dog should wear a collar at all times. The vast majority of dogs entering the stray system have been lost from their homes, gardens of owners, family and friends, and when on holiday.

Whilst it is not a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped, it is an essential safeguard since many dogs become lost having slipped out of a broken collar or having had the collar removed. Dog wardens, vets and animal rescue organisations all have microchip scanners which they will use to identify owners of stray dogs coming into their care.

If your dog becomes lost you should always contact the relevant local authority dog warden service as soon as possible, you should also always notify the police. All stray dogs are ultimately taken into care by the dog warden service and the local authority maintains a register for public view of dogs lost and found. You should also be prepared to put up notices and contact vets and local animal rescue centres.

Church Knowle. Visit our pet rescue centre at:
Animal Sanctuary and Visitor Centre,
Church Knowle, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5NQ, UK.
Tel: 01929 480474. Email us at Church Knowle.

Lincoln Farm. Visit our pet rescue centre at:
Lincoln Farm Animal Rescue & Rehoming Centre,
Bere Road, Winterborne Kingston,
Blandford, Dorset DT11 9BP, UK.
Tel: 01929 471340. Email us at Lincoln Farm.

Wingletang. Visit our pet rescue centre at:
Wingletang Animal Rescue & Rehoming Centre,
Brentor Road, Heathfield, Tavistock,
Devon PL19 0LF, UK.
Tel: 01822 810215. Email us at Wingletang.

Please donate here to help dogs and cats and other animals

We could not care for the dogs and cats and other animals we rescue without your generosity.

Please help us to continue ourpet rescue
services by donating online and using our
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Margaret Green Animal Rescue - Founded in 1965 Registered Charity
No. 252594. Patrons: Lady Saunders (Katie Boyle), Edward Fox, Anthony
Head, Sarah Fisher & Chris Packham. Founder: The Late Mr Jerry Green.

Please be aware that your dog may have strayed into the area of a bordering local authority, so make sure you obtain the details of all local authorities in the area where your dog was lost. Your dog may be found by a member of the public and mistakenly taken to their own local authority. However, local authorities do not maintain a central register of strays and do not necessarily exchange information so you should register your lost dog with every local authority in the area.

The law requires a local authority to hold a stray dog for seven days during which time the local authority will try to locate the owner if the dog is wearing a collar and tag or is microchipped. This will only be successful if the contact details on the identification tag or microchip are up to date. Many owners moving house fail to change the tag on the collar and also fail to notify the microchip agency of the change of address. The microchip agency will always require a change of address to be confirmed in writing.

At the end of the statutory seven day period a stray dog will normally be signed over to a pet rescue centre which then becomes the legal owner of the animal; the dog will then generally be rehomed. Since local authority offices are usually closed at nights, weekends and during Bank Holidays, owners of lost dogs have very little time in practice to register and recover their animal. Local authorities make a charge for recovery of a stray dog, the charges will normally include a fixed sum and a daily kennelling fee; the dog will not be released until these charges are paid.

Margaret Green Animal Rescue works with many local authorities to provide sanctuary for stray dogs, most are returned to their owners but some are signed over to us for rehoming. By ensuring that your dog is wearing a collar and tag with up to date contact details, backed up by having your dog microchipped with up to date details, you will ensure that you have a much better chance of being re-united with your much loved pet if your dog should become lost.

Pet rescue charity with animal shelters in Dorset near Wareham, Poole & Bournemouth and in Devon rehoming dogs and cats in the South West of England.

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