Reclaiming a stray dog in Dacorum costs £91 on day one, or £142 with no microchip. The council's dog service won RSPCA platinum again on 22 September.
Dacorum Borough Council announced on 22 September that it has taken Platinum in two categories of the RSPCA’s PawPrints awards, for stray dogs and for pet-inclusive housing.
Here is the part of that service the press release does not mention. If the council picks your dog up as a stray, getting it back on the first day costs £91 if the dog is correctly microchipped and £142 if it is not. By day eight the same two figures are £277 and £361.
The award, and what it is for
Both the Environmental Community Protection animal welfare service and the Housing team were recognised, the council says, “for good practice, exceeding basic and statutory service requirements and achieving high animal welfare standards”.
Platinum is the highest level in the scheme. The two categories are:
- Stray Dogs, which the council describes as recognising “safe, welfare led services for stray and lost dogs including reuniting dogs with their owners, rehoming and work that helps reduce future demand”
- Housing, which recognises “practical, pet inclusive housing approaches that promote responsible ownership and help people and their pets stay together”
Lee Gingell, the RSPCA’s public affairs manager for local government, is quoted congratulating the council in the same statement (Dacorum Borough Council, 22 September 2026).
PawPrints has run since 2008 and the RSPCA says more than 1,600 awards have been handed out. It is open to councils, housing associations, police forces, fire and rescue services and NHS bodies, and the 2026 round put its emphasis on prevention and early intervention (RSPCA).
It is not the first time, and the council’s own record of that has gone
Dacorum won Platinum in the same two categories in 2024, when an animal and environmental enforcement officer also took a special recognition award. Before that the council announced Gold in the same awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
That earlier record is no longer on the council’s website. The 2024 news page has been removed and now returns a 404, so the link below is to the Internet Archive’s copy (archived 14 September 2024).
None of that makes the 2026 award less real. It does mean this is a service holding a standard rather than reaching one for the first time.
What actually happens if your dog goes missing
The council’s own pages set out the process, and they are more useful than the award.
If the council collects a dog as a stray it goes to kennels, gets veterinary care if it needs it, and stays in the council’s care for seven days while officers try to reach the registered keeper. You reclaim it by calling 01442 228455, 8.45am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am to 4.30pm on Fridays. At weekends and on bank holidays you call the kennels direct, Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels on 01525 220383.
To get the dog back you need to bring:
- evidence that the dog is yours, such as Kennel Club registration or a vet bill
- proof of your address, such as a utility bill
Fees must be paid by card over the phone before you can collect, and the council says plainly that it does not accept payment plans (reclaim a lost or stray dog).
The fees for 2026-27
| Days in kennels | Correctly microchipped | No microchip, or incorrect details | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | £91 | £142 | £51 |
| Day 2 | £117 | £171 | £54 |
| Day 3 | £144 | £204 | £60 |
| Day 4 | £170 | £236 | £66 |
| Day 5 | £198 | £268 | £70 |
| Day 6 | £224 | £303 | £79 |
| Day 7 | £251 | £330 | £79 |
| Day 8 | £277 | £361 | £84 |
On top of those figures you may also be charged for veterinary care and for microchipping the dog if it does not already have a chip.
The gap is not a fine. It is what the council charges for the extra work of an animal it cannot identify. But the law behind it is a fine. All dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by the time they are eight weeks old, the keeper is responsible for keeping those details up to date, and you can be fined up to £500 if either duty is missed (GOV.UK). A dog must still wear a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address in a public place.
An out-of-date address after a house move is enough to make a chipped dog an “incorrectly microchipped” one at the kennels, and it is the commonest way people end up in the right-hand column.
What the service will not do
One limit is worth knowing before you ring. The council says it cannot respond to reports of stray dogs that are roaming free or uncontained. It will collect a dog that is shut in a house, a workplace or a small secure garden, or one secured on a lead with someone willing to wait beside it.
If a dog is loose near or on a main road, or appears aggressive and out of control in a public place, the council’s advice is to call 101 and report it to the police (report a lost or found animal).
If you find a dog wearing a collar and tag you may contact the owner yourself. If you know whose dog it is, you must return it or report it, and the council warns that not doing so is a criminal offence carrying a fine.
What it means for you
Three practical things come out of this, and none of them costs anything today:
- Check your chip details are current. If you have moved house or changed your number since the dog was chipped, contact the database and update it. That single step is the difference between £91 and £142 on day one, and between £277 and £361 by day eight.
- Find out which database you are on. If you do not know, GOV.UK’s check-a-chip service will tell you from the microchip number, and a vet, a dog warden or a rescue centre can scan for the number itself.
- Save the two numbers. 01442 228455 in office hours, Appledown on 01525 220383 at weekends and on bank holidays. Seven days is the whole window before the council can rehome a dog it cannot return.
Dacorum also runs the parks and open spaces where most of those dogs are walked. Our guide to things to do in Hemel Hempstead lists them, and the towpath in the photograph above runs the length of the borough.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get a stray dog back in Dacorum?
£91 on the first day if the dog is correctly microchipped, rising to £277 by day eight. If the dog has no microchip, or its chip details are wrong, the same days cost £142 and £361. Veterinary care and the cost of chipping an unchipped dog are charged on top. These are the council’s 2026-27 fees.
How long does Dacorum keep a stray dog?
Seven days. During that time officers try to reach the registered keeper. A dog not claimed within seven days is rehomed.
Who do I call about a stray dog in Hemel Hempstead?
Dacorum Borough Council on 01442 228455, 8.45am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.45am to 4.30pm on Fridays. At weekends and on bank holidays, call Appledown Rescue and Rehoming Kennels on 01525 220383. If the dog is loose near a main road or seems aggressive, call 101 instead.
Will the council collect a stray dog from the street?
Only if it is contained. The council says it cannot respond to dogs roaming free or uncontained, but will collect one shut in a house, workplace or small secure garden, or secured on a lead with someone waiting beside it.
Is it a legal requirement to microchip a dog?
Yes. All dogs in the UK must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by eight weeks old, and the keeper must keep those details up to date. The maximum fine for failing either duty is £500. A dog must also wear a collar and tag with the owner’s name and address in a public place.
Sources
- Dacorum Borough Council, “RSPCA recognise our commitment to animal welfare with Platinum award”, 22 September 2026 for the two Platinum categories, their descriptions and the quotations.
- Internet Archive copy of Dacorum Borough Council, “Animal Welfare and Housing teams celebrate RSPCA platinum awards”, 6 September 2024 for the earlier Platinum awards in the same two categories and the special recognition award.
- RSPCA PawPrints Awards for the 2008 start, the figure of more than 1,600 awards, who may enter and the 2026 emphasis on prevention.
- Dacorum Borough Council, reclaim a lost or stray dog for the seven-day period, the reclaim process, the proof required, the payment rules and the full 2026-27 fee tables.
- Dacorum Borough Council, report a lost or found animal for the collection rules, the limit on uncontained dogs, the 101 advice and the Appledown kennels details.
- GOV.UK, get your dog or cat microchipped for the eight-week requirement, the duty to keep details current, the approved databases and the £500 maximum fine.
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