Wyre Council seeks new dog kennel provider to help meet legal requirement to care for strays

Wyre Council is seeking interest from businesses able to provide kennelling and related services for stray dogs across the borough.

The council has launched a soft market testing exercise to assess the level of interest and capacity within the local market, including the availability of suitable providers in Wyre and surrounding areas.

Wyre Council has a statutory responsibility under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to make arrangements for dealing with stray dogs. It is now inviting organisations with relevant experience to provide information that could help shape any future procurement.

The council said the exercise is intended to “inform future procurement considerations and help the council understand the availability of suitable providers”. Potential providers would need to be capable of safely collecting and transporting stray dogs, providing secure and licensed kennelling facilities, and managing the animals' day-to-day care.

This would include welfare, feeding, exercise and veterinary care in line with current animal welfare legislation and best practice. Providers would also be expected to maintain accurate records covering admissions, ownership enquiries, reclaim processes and outcomes.

The anticipated service would operate from Monday to Sunday between 8.30am and 5pm, with an out-of-hours service from 5pm to 9pm, including weekends and bank holidays, for stray dog reports received outside normal operating hours.

Wyre Council is asking potential providers to indicate whether they can deliver both the core and out-of-hours elements, while also highlighting any alternative service models available.

The council is seeking information including businesses' backgrounds and relevant experience, the location of kennelling facilities, capacity to manage stray dog services, availability for out-of-hours cover, relevant licences, accreditations and insurance arrangements.

Organisations are also being asked to provide indicative pricing structures or charging models, along with details of any additional services or innovative approaches that could improve service delivery.

Wyre Council stressed that the exercise is for market research purposes only and “does not constitute a formal procurement exercise, invitation to tender, or commitment by Wyre Council to proceed with any future procurement.”

The deadline to express interest is 31 August 2026. Interested parties can submit a response via the council's procurement portal here: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=4e9e28ed-4e8b-f111-813c-005056b64545