Eddie's Doggy Daycare

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Eddie's Doggy Daycare

Policy 11.19 — Eddie's Doggy Daycare, Paddock Farm, Harlow, Essex CM17 9HP

Death or Escape of an Animal Policy

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Document Ref: EDDC-POL-025 | Category: Emergency Procedures | Version: 2.0 Effective Date: October 2025 | Review Date: October 2026 | Owner: Edward Kirwan

Death or Escape of an Animal Policy

Purpose

This policy establishes the procedures to be followed in the event of the death of a dog whilst at daycare, or the escape of a dog from the premises or during transportation. Both situations require immediate, calm, and structured responses to protect animal welfare, comply with licensing requirements, and support the dog's owner and our staff.

1. Death of an Animal

If a dog dies suddenly or unexpectedly whilst at daycare, the following procedure must be followed immediately:

  1. Contact the registered vet — call Kew Vets Harlow (01279 422 066) immediately. Inform them of the circumstances.
  2. Request a post-mortem — a post-mortem examination should be carried out to determine the cause of death and identify whether there is any risk to the rest of the daycare population.
  3. Assess disease risk — where there is a disease risk, seek veterinary advice for the specific circumstances. Follow all guidance provided by the vet.
  4. Notify all owners — if there is a potential disease risk, all owners of dogs attending that day must be notified of the potential risk. Veterinary advice should be followed regarding any precautionary measures.
  5. Contact the dog's owner — contact with the deceased dog's owner must be made as soon as possible. Handle this communication with compassion and sensitivity.
  6. Document — complete a full incident report on ProPet (EDDC-POL-020) with a detailed timeline, circumstances, and all actions taken.

2. Storage of a Carcass

If the temporary storage of a carcass is required by the daycare before collection by the vet or owner:

Carcass Storage Procedure

  • The animal should be double-bagged in heavy-duty refuse bags
  • The body must be kept isolated from any other animals at all times
  • The container unit may be used for storage — all other animals must be removed from the unit until the body is collected
  • Contact with the owner must be made as soon as possible to arrange collection by the owner or vet
  • Storage should be as brief as possible — arrange collection on the same day wherever feasible

3. Escape of an Animal

If a dog goes missing or escapes from the premises or during transportation, the following must be actioned immediately:

Immediate Actions

  1. Search the immediate area — mobilise all available staff to search the site, surrounding roads, and fields
  2. Contact the authorities — the local council, dog warden, police, and animal control must be contacted and informed of:
  • a. A full description of the dog (breed, colour, size, distinguishing features)
  • b. The date and time the dog was last seen
  • c. The dog's microchip number (available on ProPet)
  1. Contact the owner — contact with the owner must be made as soon as possible
  2. Contact management — if not already on site, the Owner (Edward Kirwan) must be notified immediately

4. Emergency Contact Numbers for Escape

AuthorityHarlow AreaHarlow Area
Local CouncilHarlow Forest District Council — 07815 512 833Harlow Council — 01992 785 577
Dog Warden01992 564 08501992 642 240
PoliceEssex Police — 101Hertfordshire Police — 101

5. Prevention Measures

Eddie's Doggy Daycare maintains the following escape prevention controls:

  • All areas are locked and secure with double-gate entry systems
  • Staff take extra care when letting dogs in and out of vans — this is the one area where there is only one gate between a dog and escape
  • Regular registers are taken throughout the day to keep account of all dogs at daycare
  • Head counts are conducted after every group transition (indoor to outdoor, van loading/unloading)
  • Fencing and gate integrity is checked as part of the daily opening inspection

6. Post-Incident Actions

Following any death or escape incident:

  1. A full written incident report must be completed on the same day
  2. A root cause analysis must be conducted within 48 hours
  3. Risk assessments must be reviewed and updated as necessary
  4. All staff must be debriefed on the incident and any procedural changes
  5. The licensing authority must be notified if required
  6. Staff involved must be offered wellbeing support

Authorised By

Edward Kirwan — Owner & Company Director, Eddie's Doggy Daycare Limited Document Ref: EDDC-POL-025

Read and understood — staff name & signature

Date