Report dangerous or vicious dogs
We take dog safety seriously. If a dog poses a threat to people or other animals, it must be reported and dealt with appropriately.
What is a dangerous dog?
A dog is considered dangerous if it:
- has already attacked a person or another animal
- causes someone to fear for their safety or the safety of others
What is a vicious dog?
It can be hard to define a vicious dog, as it may simply be scared, hungry or feel under threat.
If you're unsure whether a dog is dangerous or just distressed, report it anyway. It’s better to be safe.
What you can do
- call Cleveland Police on 101 to report bites, attacks, or threatening behaviour
- provide details about the dog and its owner (if known)
They will need to know or find out who owns the dog that is believed to be dangerous before they can take action.
What we can do
- dogs found unsupervised in public may be seized by us
- if the dog is tagged or microchipped, we’ll try to contact the owner
- if not, the dog will be taken to our kennels
To reclaim your dog, contact Customer Services on 01429 523333
XL Bully dog ban
The ban on XL Bully type dogs came into force on 31 December 2023.