From left, James Vayro, holding Jasper, a 2 1/2 year old Patterdale Cross.  Codie Wilkins, holding Kelsy, a 2 year old Lurcher.  Mitchell Bowater, and Josh Morton holding Billy, a 12 year old Labrador cross.

They have both given their time and efforts to raise money for Stray Aid!

Abbey vets, who have surgeries at Crossgate Moor and Chester-le-Street, chose Stray Aid as one of their charities for VN week, when the vet nurses get together and raise funds for good causes. They held a variety of events throughout the week and raised a fantastic £400 for the stray dogs of County Durham!

GSK, one of the country's major drug companies, sent volunteers to the centre on their "Orange Day" and gave the kennels a fresh coat of paint - paint and a professional painter provided by INTERSERVE!! Thank you so much. GSK also held a number of tombolas, supplying their own prizes! and raised an incredible £730.83

Without the support of kind-hearted people like these, our registered charity would not be able to drive our animal welfare centre forward at such a pace. Our kennel upgrades take time and money, but together we really can make a difference to the welfare of stray dogs in our area. Thank you!

Janet Maitland Hair Excellence raised an amazing £1000 for Stray Aid from a sponsored dog walk.  Pictured below is Sandra Smurthwaite presenting the cheque to Stray Aid's President and veterinary surgeon Sue Bielby at our open day on 23rd May.  Thanks to everyone involved.

Sunday 23rd May turned out to be a beautiful day to host our show.  Supporters of Stray Aid didn't let us down, coming along with their dogs and sack fulls of food.  It was great to see Stray Aid dogs again and its always a pleasure, chatting and catching up.  Our dog show was again a success and huge thanks to our judges Caroline Calder and Dawn Bailey, it was a tough job and they took it in their stride. Lisa and Rob from Noah's Ark Pet shop kept all dogs happy with bones too. Also Easington Agility club put on a fantastic display and made Agility look easy!  Once again, our MC for the day was Jacqui Bell and she kept everyone smilling.

If anyone has any photos of the day, it would be appreciated if you could email them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Once again, many thanks to everyone who came along and supported us.

More information on the show will follow.

Stray Aid working in partnership with Durham County Council and Dogs Trust is able to provide FREE microchipping to dog owners in the County Durham area subject to certain conditions.*

FREE CHIPPING is available Monday to Friday at 2pm at our animal welfare centre at Stray Aid Rescue Kennels, East Pasture Farm, Cornforth Lane, Coxhoe DH6 4EJ.

FREE CHIPPING is available from our animal ambulance which visits different venues throughout County Durham. Our ambulance will be at Wheatley Hill Community Centre, Saturday 11th September 11am till 3pm

*Terms for free chipping:-

1. The owner must produce a current utility-type bill (gas, phone, council tax etc.) for the address the pet is to be chipped to.

2. The address to which the chip will be issued must be in the Durham County Council area (excludes Darlington)

3. The free chipping campaign is for owned pets only. Litters of puppies, working dogs and racing greyhounds are excluded from this free scheme.

4. The pet owner indemnifies Stray Aid against any problems caused by the insertion of the device, or loss or failure to reunite the pet with the owner in the future, howsoever caused.

5. Stray Aid reserves the right to refuse to chip any dog including very young or very small dogs, together with dogs with obvious health or temperament problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a microchip?

A small device approximately the size of a grain of rice encased in special surgical glass implanted under the skin of your pet, usually between its shoulder blades.

What does it do?

The chip carries a unique 15-digit number to identify the host. It does not carry any other information. This number is held at a central database which keeps the dog's and owner's details available for reference.

How long does the chip last?

It is totally passive and has no battery. It is energised by the radio wave from the reader and transmits its unique code. For this reason the chip should easily last the lifetime of the dog.

Can it stop working?

Very occasionally a chip cannot be found. This may be because it has moved, or has stopped working. For this reason, have your chip checked occasionally. It is a good idea to ask your vet to check the chip each year when your dog is vaccinated.

What details are required?

The dog's name, date of birth, breed, colour, sex and whether or not it is neutered all help to identify the dog. Your name, address and phone number help to identify you. The more information held at the database, the more likely it will be that your dog can be successfully traced back to you. It is a good idea to provide several phone numbers ie. home, work, mobile or even a friend or relative's number, to assist with locating you even if some of your details change.

Who can access this information?

Vets, dog wardens and dog rescue centres use special scanners to read the chip. They must be registered with the database and give a special security code number before they can see your details. Your details are used only for reunification and are protected by the Data Protection Act.

Does it hurt the dog?

The chipping process is like getting your ears pierced. Most dogs don't even flinch, however some, especially thin or pink-skinned dogs will sometimes yelp.

Will it make the dog bleed?

Sometimes the implant site will bleed and the implanter may need to apply pressure or even wet cotton wool to the site whilst the blood clots. If it starts bleeding again when you get home, do the same but if it does not stop after a few minutes, contact your vet. Get the vet to scan the dog to ensure that the chip has not fallen out.

How do I change my details?

Contact the reunification centre on 08006529977, or visit www.petchipupdate.com . You will need to give them your pet's unique microchip number. If you do not have it, contact your local vet, dog warden or rescue centre and they will be happy to read the chip for you. The reunification centre will help you through the process but they may charge a fee.

How do I know if my pet is registered correctly?

The reunification centre will issue a certificate of registration to you. Check the details carefully and advise them immediately of any errors. You should receive this certificate within about 2-4 weeks of the dog being chipped. If you do not receive a certificate during this time, please contact the Stray Aid's Rescue Centre on 0191 3772415 for advice.

What if I lose my pet?

Contact the reunification centre on 08006529977 as soon as you realise your pet is missing. Check that the details that are held by the centre are still current, and advise them of when and where it went missing. If you have reported your pet missing, this will prevent anyone else from amending your details illegally.

What if my dog is already chipped to someone else?

Advise the registered owner of the situation and ask them about the history of the dog. Advise the reunification centre, who will check if the dog has been reported lost or stolen, and they will contact the registered owners and unless they hear otherwise they will transfer the details to you after 28 days. This needs to be done in writing and they may make a charge.

Why should I have my dog chipped?

Every year, thousands of dogs are lost or stolen. You greatly increase the chance of your dog being returned to you if it is chipped. Many councils will, under certain circumstances, return a chipped dog to its owner free of charge. If they cannot identify the dog immediately, it will be taken to the county pound and you will have to pay a fine to get it back.

Be a responsible dog owner and have your pet chipped soon!

County Councillor Brian Myers MBE JP, kindly agreed to open Stray Aid's new Animal Welfare Centre at its rescue kennels at Coxhoe. The centre not only boasts reception and rehoming areas, coffee machine and disabled toilet, it also hosts Northern Stray-care Veterinary Centre with consulting room, fully equiped operating theatre and recovery kennels. The new centre replaces the old portacabin accommodation that the charity used to use.

The new accommodation allows staff and volunteers to help make the rehoming experience a pleasant one and the new veterinary facilities allow for all the stray dogs visiting the centre to be treated "in house". Procedures from flea and worm treatment through routine vaccinations to neutering, ultrasound scans, dentals and major surgery including amputation and life-saving operations can all now be performed by the charity's resident veterinary surgeon, Sue Bielby. Stray Aid is proud to have such comprehensive facilities and it is hoped that the public will see that the welfare of lost or abandoned animals that come into Stray Aid's care is paramount.

The ceremony took place on Sunday 17th January at 2pm. Free microchipping for pet owners who reside in County Durham was available between 12 noon and 3pm, courtesy of Durham County Council.

Stray Aid would like to invite you to come along to our rescue centre at East Pasture Farm, Coxhoe on the 1st or 2nd Sunday of every month, between 12noon-2pm. Our next meeting is to be arranged. Our volunteers would like to give you the opportunity to meet our dogs and get to know them. If you are interested in joining our volunteer group, you will be invited to attend this induction meeting so you can get to know the charity and how it operates.

We are always looking for new volunteers to help with fundraising, dog walking, administration, kennel cleaning etc etc. as well as becoming a Saviour Of Stray Aid. For further details, please contact Stray Aid on 0191 3772415 or call in at our rehoming centre any day between 10am - 6pm. Hope to see you soon!

Early on Boxing Day morning, one of Stray Aid's animal care assistants had become increasingly concerned about a stray dog held in the Durham County Council dog pound at Coxhoe. Candy, a 12 month old crossbreed bitch who had developed milk, was becoming increasingly restless and our vet was concerned as to the dog's health. Candy was taken straight away to the charity's Animal Welfare Centre where using an ultrasound scanner which had kindly been donated by Wilson Veterinary Group, Bishop Auckland, the bitch was found to be carrying a dead pup.

The same morning, Candy had an emergency operation in the charity's fully equipped operating theatre at Coxhoe when the dead foetus was removed. Candy went on to have a full hysterectomy, sponsored by Dogs Trust. She was transferred to the centre's heated recovery kennels where she is pictured coming round following her operation. 

Thanks to everyone who supports the charity and its new Animal Welfare Centre, the generosity of Wilson Vet Group and Dogs Trust, Candy was able to enjoy the very best of care at no cost to Durham County Council. In the next few days, Candy will be transferred to the charity's rehoming centre where she will be checked regularly by our vet and is expected to make a full recovery. She will become available for rehoming by the charity, and will make someone a lovely pet.