Tanya Tennant of Dymock, Gloucestershire, faced a stressful 24-hour ordeal to recover her missing dog, Luca, after he was found in her village, taken to a veterinary clinic in Worcester, and then handed over to Worcestershire Regulatory Services under the assumption that he was an unregistered stray.
Luca, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, went missing from Tanya’s home on January 14 around 5pm. A local woman found him on the Kempley-Dymock road roughly an hour later and saw a social media post about the lost dog. She contacted Tanya the following morning and explained she had taken Luca to a vets in Worcester because closer clinics were closed.
However, when Tanya called the Worcester veterinary clinic, she was told Luca had been passed to Worcestershire Regulatory Services because he was believed not to be microchipped. This was despite Tanya confirming that Luca is registered with Petlog, the UK’s largest official pet microchip database.
“The woman who found him meant well, but the vets were at fault for not properly checking his microchip,” Tanya said. “I was distraught and feared I would never see Luca again. Without that call from her, I might have lost him forever.”
After reaching Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Tanya was instructed to complete a form online and pay a £65 fee to reclaim Luca. Although she doesn’t understand why she was charged this amount, she paid it in desperation to get her dog back. The reunion occurred the next day at Malvern Police Station.
A spokesperson for the veterinary clinic Vets Now expressed sympathy for Tanya’s distress and explained their staff follow strict protocols when caring for unaccompanied animals, including scanning for microchips and transferring animals without identified owners to local authorities. They confirmed that any fees are set by the local authorities, not the vet.
Malvern Hills District Council, representing Worcestershire Regulatory Services, emphasized that animal welfare is their top priority. They explained the £65 charge covers government-set fines and the costs of boarding and caring for stray dogs. The council assured that their staff aim to handle each case professionally and with care.
Tanya hopes her experience will raise awareness and prevent similar distress for other pet owners in the future.