West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council have been given an award for their stray dog service.
Both councils achieved a Bronze in the Stray Dog Footprint category at the 2015 RSPCA’s Community Animal Welfare Footprints Awards.
The awards recognise good practice in animal welfare and that both councils have met the RSPCA’s bronze standards by meeting a number of criterias for carrying out the stray dog service. These include:
Dog handling and welfare training for all staff involved in stray dog collection,
Procedure in place to treat sick stray dogs,
The council or contractor’s stray dog kennels and out of hours reception has clear facilities, protocols and procedures that meet the five needs defined under the Animal Welfare Act
Information provided to owners reclaiming strays on how to prevent the animal straying again
Weymouth & Portland Borough Council Community Safety Briefholder, Cllr Francis Drake, said: “Our dog wardens work very hard to carry out a successful stray dog service. I am glad their hard work has been recognised.”
West Dorset District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Access, Cllr Alan Thacker said: “I would like to congratulate our dog wardens for achieving this award and their continuing hard work to provide such a great service in the district.”
The borough and district council’s stray dog service is only a small part of the wider dog warden service which both councils provide. Services carried out by the dog wardens not only includes the statutory stray dog service but enforcing Dog Control Orders and dog fouling legislation, investigating dog attacks on domestic animals, investigating excessive dog noise complaints and patrolling the areas we live in.
To find out more about the stray dog service or to report a stray dog visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dog-warden
