Tanya Tennant of Dymock, Gloucestershire, faced a distressing 24-hour ordeal to recover her missing Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Luca, after he went missing near her home on January 14. Despite being found by a kind passerby on the Kempley-Dymock road and taken to a veterinary clinic in Worcester, nearly 30 miles away, the process of reclaiming Luca became unexpectedly complex and costly.
Ms. Tennant explained that the woman who found Luca initially contacted her via social media the following day, revealing she had taken him to a vet in Worcester because no local clinics were open. However, when Ms. Tennant reached out to the vet, she discovered that Luca had been handed over to Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), the local authority responsible for stray animals. WRS claimed the dog was not microchipped, contradicting existing records.
In fact, Luca is registered with Petlog, the UK’s largest government-compliant pet microchip database, confirming he was microchipped. Frustrated and tearful, Ms. Tennant recounted how she was forced to “jump through hoops” and pay a £65 fee—set by WRS—without clear explanation for the charge. This was necessary to secure Luca’s release, which finally happened at Malvern Police Station the next day.
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Vets Now, the veterinary provider involved, expressed sympathy for Ms. Tennant’s distress but defended their protocols, stating that their teams always scan pets for microchips using approved equipment and follow established procedures, transferring unaccompanied animals safely to local authorities. They clarified that any fees are determined by local authorities, not their service.
Worcestershire Regulatory Services echoed the importance of animal welfare, emphasizing their prompt action in identifying and notifying Luca’s owner within an hour of receiving the dog. They explained that the £65 charge covers government statutory fines and costs for boarding and care, with fees processed through Bromsgrove District Council, which oversees WRS.
While grateful to be reunited with her beloved pet, Ms. Tennant hopes her experience will prevent others from enduring similarly stressful situations and calls for clearer communication and processes when pets go missing.