Best Practice for Local Councils Handling Deceased Domestic Pets

Losing a furry family member to the road is never easy, but those that handle our cats, from drivers to vets, can make the grieving process that bit more bearable for us by showing our cats and dogs the dignity and respect in death that they deserve. We fight for drivers to do the right thing and stop, help and report incidents where they have collided with a cat, but when they fail to do the right thing it is left for others to handle. Local councils routinely collect deceased animals from the roadside, and they can make a significant difference by notifying us and allowing us to say goodbye. Some local councils go above and beyond to collect and return peoples cats and dogs, but it's no secret that the system nationally is completely broken. A broken system with multiple issues at play form the barriers that prevent us knowing what has happened and stop us getting our cats back. By establishing clear processes for reporting and managing deceased cats and dogs, councils can show compassion and make a huge difference for grieving families.

We come across a wide range of issues that prevent people from being notified their cat has been in a road accident, as well as the many different barriers that stop cats being returned home. We have been working with DEFRA on these issues for some time now and research has been commissioned to discover the most effective best practices for councils with the intent of creating a guide that they can adhere to. It will apply to England but will be presented to the devolved nations in hope they too adopt it. We have began the stakeholder meetings with the research team to discuss our extensive work in this area, and the magnitude of issues that arise, and the best ways barriers to cats being returned home can be combated. This blog post outlines the range of issues at local councils when it comes to the reporting and handling of deceased domestic pets and the essential procedures we have put forward to better manage these unfortunate situations effectively. Our focus is on the cat and owner, and our goal is for the cats to be treated with dignity and to get as many of them as possible home to their families.

This blog refers to cats and dogs as dogs are handled the same way as cats are. A mistake people make is that the dog wardens always handle the dogs, but dog wardens tend to handle stray and dangerous dogs, although many dog wardens have been cut in recent years. The deceased dogs collected from the roadside will effectively be treated the same way cats currently are but there are more cats they handle due to their free roaming nature meaning they are more likely to be found alone on roads. The DEFRA research focuses on both species, as has been the case for the evidence we have handed over.

Reporting Incidents

The reporting part tends to be one of the major complaints from residents and pet owners searching for a lost pet. People will find a deceased animal on the road and search for the local council number to remove. Rarely it is stated what to do clearly, so people tend to search for the first number that pops up and call the councils main customer service number. Callers sometimes become frustrated or confused if they meet an automated service, leading to them hanging up if they are left waiting too long. When they are connected, it's not uncommon for people to be directed to the wrong department and being informed wrongly. Call handlers in each department are not always briefed on the council’s correct protocol, nor do they always record incidents or have access to any log so they can cross reference information. Often customer service agents will not be aware of the deceased animal collection protocol and advise callers completely wrong - we've heard everything from the complete opposite of council policy being advised, to people being told to put the cat in the nearest bin because they didn't know what to advise the caller.

Some may prefer to search the council website for an online reporting tool. Some councils do have information on their website but many of their websites request accounts to be set up. Persons simply wanting to notify the council of a deceased animal, usually on scene via a mobile phone, want a swift service and deny requests to set up an account.

It is crucial for people to know how to report a found deceased pet and having clear reporting channels can help local councils respond quickly and efficiently, and prevent the further unnecessary stress to the searching pet owner. We would like to see online reporting systems easily accessible to residents and contact numbers made easily obtainable. We want call handlers briefed on the correct department to transfer people to, and transparency to callers when it comes to things such as collection times. We would also like to see the creation of centralised logs which are accessible to all departments and allows customer service agents to swiftly take details of a deceased cat found and that information passed swiftly to the retrieval teams. A centralised log and good record taking will also allow them to swiftly cross reference a pet owners information with cats collected so as a swift identification can take place when owners call to ask has the council collected their pet.

Recording Incidents

The breakdown in communication between pet owner and local authority tends to be as a result of improper record keeping. Staff are unable to answer distressed pet owners questions, or they give the wrong advice and information. To the pet owner it appears the council are just disposing of cats without any checks, regardless of it sometimes not being the case and the error comes down to one person failing to record properly. Local authorities with good record keeping can deal with the situation swiftly and staff can alert owners of the process that took place, where their cat is now and how they can retrieve them.

All call handlers and depot employees must be briefed and have an understanding of the procedure to minimalize confusion and callers being passed from department to department, as so often happens. It is sometimes also the case that only a limited number of persons in a particular department will hold the details of animals collected, or have access to the scanner. We have known staff in those situations to be on holiday and no animal has been scanned in that period, so more staff need to be briefed and have access to the scanning equipment.

Leeds council opts to publish records online which enables residents to instantly cross reference information against those of their missing pet. This option limits confusion amongst owners and reduces resident numbers phoning with queries. To accompany these public records, it is also made clear on the website how residents can contact the department if a description matches their missing cat and what process they must take to retrieve them. We have put forward this example as a potential bench mark.

We have put forward further examples of accurate record-keeping as this is essential for councils managing deceased pets.

Collection of Animals by the Council

Residents may wish to collect their cat from the council for home burial/cremation. The local authorities who offer this service currently tend to simply box the cat up ready for collection and owners will collect from the depot during working hours. Although all owners appreciate the confirmation and closure, not all owners opt to collect their pets remains. Sometimes staff may warn them the cat is in a distressing state, and owners chose to allow the council to cremate their pet so as they can remember them as they were. Whatever the owner chooses to do, we are clear they should be given the option.

A major issue is collection times. Proper reporting methods allow street cleaners to obtain the details immediately to arrange collection. Often street cleaners find an animal has been removed by a member of the public themselves due to the elapsed time between reporting and collection. Between the reporting of incidents to the collection, callers reporting that they have found a deceased cat must be advised when there may be a delay in collection, and we have put forward alternative options to the researchers for councils to opt to use in times when collections teams might not be able to attend the scene relatively quickly.

Street cleaners who come across a deceased cat must follow their specific protocol, which could either be to report it immediately to the contractor for removal and scanning, or collect the cat themselves. There has been numerous reports of street cleaners putting cats in bins or bushes in the past due to advised late collection times and not having the correct equipment, and this can't be tolerated. When cats are collected, collection methods can vary. We would like to see things such as individual bagging and separation from general waste in the truck, along with log sheets being attached for simple processing at the depot. This would include details such as date, location collected, and brief description of the cat. Some scan on scene, others scan at the depot. If the teams scan on scene, we would like the log sheets to include microchip details. The information would be later use for contacting owners and/or logged on to the internal systems for cross referencing.

Timely collection of deceased pets is a vital council responsibility. This process must be handled with both safety and compassion. Council personnel should receive thorough training tailored to this sensitive task. Staff members need to understand how to safely handle and transport pets, as well as the emotional sensitivity required in such situations. Far too often we have known of staff throwing cats in among the general waste collected, only to be lost forever at landfill. Far too often we have spoke to team leaders who find and speak to the team or person responsible and assure us it won't happen again. Proper training and strict protocols would ensure staff treat animals respectfully and in line with council policy.

Scanning Domestic Pets for Microchips

Scanning for microchips is a critical step in responsibly managing deceased pets. This process helps reunite lost pets with their families and informs how the deceased animals are handled. Scanning has always been the issue that is raised in the media but, as this blog highlights, it is just one part of a much large system. Without proper reporting, recording and collection protocols, cats don't usually get to the point where they are available for scanning. Also, some councils do scan cats, but they have no storage facilities so owners are notified but no one is allowed to get their cats back. Another point we will touch on a little later in this blog.

A microchip reader is an easily obtainable, inexpensive handheld tool which will pick up details of a microchip in a matter of seconds using passive radio frequency identification. It is assumed all councils have scanners due to the dog wardens having been allocated scanners back in 2016 when the compulsory microchipping of dogs legislation came into force. This is not the case. We have known some dog wardens to not have access to them, or they've lost or broke the one's they were allocated, or the service has been completely scrapped altogether. Although many have scanners still, a further problem is that not all depots have them or only one or two persons have access to them, as discussed above. We have known a number of cases where a council will have multiple waste depots, but only a fraction have a scanner on site. One large council in particular had 8 depots across the region, yet only 3 had access to a microchip scanner. If an animal was sent to one of their depots without a scanner, that animal would be disposed of without scanning. What we have already done on this is equip quite a number of councils with microchip scanners in general, but also worked with many to ensure all their depots are equipped, not just some. Councils with depots unequipped is why we see many cats slip through the net. We have spoken to DEFRA about potentially looking to equip the remaining councils that need help in this particular area.

UK microchips are inserted either under the skin on the back of the neck between the shoulder blades, or in the left side of the neck. Some foreign microchips can be inserted on the opposite side. However, microchips can migrate all around the body, so we have advised them to check the entire body should the reader fail to locate a chip in the common area. Domestic pets that the local authority will handle tend to be mostly those that have been involved in a road traffic accident. Although rare, microchips are susceptible to breakages and malfunctions as a result of high impact collisions. We have also advised that the scanners might not pick up a microchip if the cat has large fat deposits around the site, has very long thick fur, or is wearing a collar with a lot of metal on it. Human error can also play a part, such as improper scanning techniques or the microchip reader having lost power. For all of these reasons, we have advised they do a thorough scan of the site and around the entire body, proper logs are made to aid searching pet owners, and put forward a simple, quick and easy guide to minimalize human and equipment error.

We have also put forward to include advice on how the scanners operate. You would be surprised how many admit they struggle with how to operate it, from generally turning it on to the need to keep some charged. Many times we have been told the scanner doesn't work as ''it needs charging'', so staff must either have a spare while one is on charge or make sure they keep on top of the maintenance of. Then there is how they obtain the owners details once they do get them working...

Obtaining Owner Details from Microchip Scanners and Contacting Owners

Once a pet is confirmed to be microchipped, the next step is contacting the owner sensitively to share the news. Should a microchip reader locate a chip, it will produce a long number across the screen. You would be surprised at how many councils thought the scanner would instantly show an owners details, such as name and phone number, on screen. Not to mention some believing a number flashing up meant the animal did not have a microchip. Simple communication and us working with them to help them understand how the equipment works and how to obtain access codes has made a massive difference in some areas of England. There is no information for them to adhere to, and many have approached us looking for information that should already be readily available for them to check, learn and understand. It is a voluntary process and they must have the information available to them for them to be able to put an effective system in place. Doing so helps owners be reunited with their cat or dog.

There has also been the issue of overseas microchips that we come across. This occurs for reasons such as, owners did not update their cats’ microchips when relocated to the UK, they have been imported illegally or the cat accidently boarded a train, lorry, boat or plane – it happens. The microchip will pick up a foreign microchip, although it may appear as if the chip has not been registered due to being registered to an overseas database. There are accessible sources which will enable searches of these microchip numbers so we have put that information forward.

Another issue is microchips not being registered or the details are not kept up to date. We pushed very hard for the inclusion of chips being kept up to date in the recent cat microchip legislation, and appreciate that local authorities can not be held responsible should a pet owner either not microchip their pet, register its microchip or keep the details up to date. Reminding people this is a voluntary action by councils, they are highly unlikely to go to the lengths some rescues do in finding owners of out of date chips. We strongly advise people keep microchips up to date. Phone number and email are the most important to keep up to date as this is what rescues and vets tend to use. Most microchip companies will now allow you to update these, or one of these, for free if you are not on the premium package.

While we have always fiercely campaigned for cats to be microchipped, and chips registered and kept up to date, we appreciate there will be some who have not been microchipped or their chips have not worked during scanning, for whatever reason. We are firm in our belief that councils must give all cats, microchipped or not, that chance for an owner to locate and retrieve them.

Storage of Deceased Pets

Once a deceased pet is collected, councils tend to store the remains until final arrangements are made. A designated storage space that meets health and safety standards is essential. Councils handle storage differently, further proof of an incoherent broken system. However, councils working with different storage policies can absolutely work, and is doing in some areas. Some councils tend to store on site in their own depots, or their contractor such as Biffa or Veolia will store them. Others use local veterinary practices, pet crematoriums or even work with local rescues. We a local authority choose to store on site, animals are stored in a general chest freezer for a period ranging anywhere between 24 hours to a month. Some do not have a set period and timing depends on when the animal arrived at the depot and when the freezers are due to be emptied, meaning some could be stored there for 2 weeks with others collected later only spending a few hours there before collection. The most common time frame tends to be 1-2 weeks. Understanding councils can't hold cats indefinitely, we support at least a two week time frame as this gives ample time for those with no/broke microchips to have some chance of being reunited with their owners.

Councils can, and often do, cost save on storage facilities by obtaining chest freezers from their own recycling centres and costs to run the freezers are generally low cost and adhere to health and safety requirements for the storage of animal by-products. We have previously spoken to DEFRA about potentially surveying councils to work with those that need the providing of, or updating of, storage facilities.

A major issue we see from councils is due to improper storage and, again, improper record keeping. It is not uncommon for call handlers to tell pet owners their cat could be at one of several depots, leaving the owners to search and drive around the depots themselves, only to be met with confused workers who tend to allow owners to look through freezers with all collected animals in. It is completely unacceptable and unnecessarily distressing for an already grieving owner to have to search through a freezer of deceased animals remains looking for their beloved family member. The cats details on a central system should include details of which depot the cat is currently at, followed by a direct phone number or details of the process the owner now has to follow to swiftly collect their cat. We have stressed the importance of this to the research team.

What to Do Out of Hours

Again, this is a major issue we see and hear about time and time again in the process. Out of hours services is one of the most common underlying cause of complaints we receive from people asking for help in search of their missing cat. Neither cat nor owner can help the time the cat was hit by a car, nor can employees do very much when the relevant team are not currently available. However, there is a perfectly feasible way of handling the issue, which minimalizes later strain on the council, most notably in the depot when normal working hours resume with staff unaware of what has been advised out of hours, and stops unnecessary upset for already grieving and stressed pet owners. Pet owners, as well as the general reporting public, appreciate honesty and the knowledge the council sympathises and is willing to offer honest and helpful advice. Not brush them off knowing someone else will deal with it at a later date.

With statistics showing cats are more likely to be involved in a road accident in the early hours, deceased pet incidents often occur after standard working hours, necessitating an effective out-of-hours response. Having a dedicated after-hours system allows individuals to report findings of deceased pets swiftly even out of hours. It should be staffed or monitored by trained personnel ready to guide callers on the next steps, or have clear information on what reporters can do if time should be due to elapse before retrieval time.

Many councils have some very effective out of hours strategies in place, such as partnering with local veterinarians or local rescues, which provide support during these times and ensure a safety net for both animals and the community. Many local authorities tend to use local rescues, private scanning groups, veterinary practices or local pet crematoriums to combat the untimely nature of such call, with each option being uniquely suited to each local authority and arranged privately. We have provided the team with out of hours call script ideas, and information on the councils that use external bodies for over night services. Although you can report a deceased animal anytime, it is collection times that matter most in out of hours operations, and that's why external bodies can be essential at getting to the animal before wildlife or persons removes them.

Council policy tends to be to only collect deceased animals from public places, as opposed to private property, so we have suggested that it could be useful that the council make arrangements with the deceased animals finder in some cases. Perhaps, should a resident call to report a deceased cat on the road, knowing street cleaners will be unable to collect for 48+ hours, the finder could be asked to box/bag the cat for collection curb side at the next available collection time. This will also save the council later going to collect the cat and finding it has since been removed, as is often the case. This is one of many options we have put forward that councils could consider at their discretion.

Log details of the conversation with the reporter, and what was advised, will come in useful should, as so often is the case, the owner of the cat discovers the council was called to collect their cat, yet all are unsure what happened to the cat beyond that. Owners appreciate swift, honest, factual information, and it would be very simple to achieve on the councils part with some basic ideas we have put forward.

Final Thoughts

The topic of deceased pets is undeniably sensitive but very important, and local councils play a vital role in ensuring these situations are managed with dignity and respect. By implementing best practices in reporting incidents, collection, scanning, and documentation, councils can foster a compassionate response to the loss of pets in their communities.

Training staff, building partnerships, and maintaining clear lines of communication with residents will substantially enhance public confidence in local authorities. Ultimately, prioritizing the well-being of grieving families and honoring beloved pets is essential, and our aim is that this is what is achieved at the end of the research through the production of best practice guidelines that councils will be following. We will continue to work closely with DEFRA and the researchers on this topic, and look forward to publications in the very near future.