Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Service
Ryedale District Council’s Dog Warden and Animal Welfare
Service is a high profile service which undertakes all the
Council’s statutory functions with respect to dogs in order to
protect the health and safety of people and to preserve
amenity.
What does our service include?
- investigating complaints regarding dog fouling, stray
dogs, dangerous dogs and barking dogs;
- providing advice to customers in relation to responsible dog
ownership;
- provision of educational talks and initiatives to promote
responsible dog ownership, delivering talks to schools, youth
groups and general public awareness campaigns: provision of
dog fouling information including the erection of signs throughout
the district;
- liaison with parish/town councils over the provision of dog
waste bins or dog waste bag dispensers;
- arrangement of special clean ups through the Council’s
Commercial Services team, assistance to other key organisations
such as RSPCA and Police in relation to complaints regarding animal
welfare;
- assistance and advice in relation to feral cats;
- licensing of a range of establishments including dog breeding,
animal boarding and pet shops.
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
2005: Dog Control Orders
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 has given
powers to the Council and town and parish councils to make Dog
Control Orders. The regulations provide for five offences
which may be prescribed in a Dog Control Order:
- failing to remove dog faeces;
- not keeping a dog on a lead;
- not putting and keeping a dog on a lead when directed to so by
an authorised officer;
- permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are
excluded;
- taking more than a specified number of dogs on to land.
Existing dog byelaws and designations under the Dogs (Fouling
of Land) Act 1996 are not affected by the introduction of the above
legislation.
Dog Fouling
Ryedale District Council enforces the Dogs (Fouling
of Land) Act 1996 across the entire area of the district. The
Council has designated all land in the open air to which the public
are entitled or permitted to have access with or without
payment.
It is an offence for a person in charge of a dog not to clear
up immediately on any land, which the Council has
designated. The offender can face a maximum fine of £1,000 and
may also be liable for costs.
For further information on dog fouling please see the attached
Dog Fouling Booklet.
In order to avoid committing an offence always ensure that
when taking your dog in a public area to “Take the lead and take
the bag” to safely remove the faeces. Ryedale District
Council, town councils and a number of parish councils now provide
special dog waste bins for disposal of dog waste bags. If
there are no such bins in the immediate area then wrap up the dog
waste again in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it in a litter
bin or in your domestic waste bin at home.
Stray Dogs
The Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Officer will respond to all
complaints of stray dogs within the service standard of 1
working day. Any complaint of a stray dog(s) that is likely to
cause a road accident or are roaming in packs will be dealt with
urgently.
There is no legal definition of a stray dog; however, the
Council considers that a dog may reasonably be treated as a stray
if it is roaming freely and not under the control of any person,
irrespective of whether it has a home.
If the Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Officer has reason to
believe that any dog found in a public place is a stray dog, the
Warden may legally seize the dog and detain it. If the dog is
seized it is first checked for identification. If the dog is
found to be persistently straying it will be seized by the Dog
Warden and Animal Welfare Officer and taken directly to
kennels. The owner will be notified that the dog has been
kennelled. The owner of any impounded dog will have to pay a
stray charge of £25, plus the cost of kennelling fees and any
veterinary costs before the dog will be released.
If no contact can be made or if the dog does not have any
identification then the dog will be taken straight to the holding
kennels.
Once at the holding kennels, the dog will remain there until
it is claimed by the owner or for up to seven clear days after the
date of seizure. If the dog is not claimed during this period
then it will be re-homed. Only in extreme circumstances will a
dog ever be ‘put to sleep’. This normally happens if the dog is
dangerous or on the advice of a veterinary surgeon if the dog is
ill. (See 'Finding a dog' below for arrangements if you find a
stray dog).
If you lose or find a dog
Losing a dog
If you lose a dog during normal working hours please
contact:
- the Dog Warden Service on 01653
600666 ext 208 and
- any local vets to find out if anyone has handed it in or
reported it as a stray dog.
Give a full description of the dog and where it was last
seen. If the Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Officer has had any
reports of stray dogs matching the description you give they will
assist you in finding it.
If you lose your dog outside normal working hours then contact
the above telephone number and leave your and your
dog's details on the voicemail and the Dog Warden and Animal
Welfare Officer will contact you on the next working day to assist
you. Alternatively, please telephone the Ryecare Service
on 01653 697737 who will pass on the details to the Dog Warden and
Animal Welfare Officer the next working day or, if you are
fortunate to have your dog found and reported by a member of the
public, put the finder of your dog in contact with you
directly.
Finding a dog
If you find a dog during normal working hours please
contact the Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Officer on 01653 600666
ext 208.
If you find a stray dog outside of normal office hours you can
either hold onto the dog until the next working day and
arrangements will be made for collection or
you can take it to one of the two appointed kennels by contacting
the Ryecare Service on 01653 697737. If you are unable or
unwilling to do either of the above, please contact the
Ryecare Service on the above telephone number and, where
practicable, a collection service will be arranged.
Collar and tag/microchipping
It is a requirement of the Control of Dogs Order 1992 that
dogs must wear a collar and tag at all times while in a public
place or highway (subject to certain exemptions), even if they are
microchipped. By putting a collar and tag on your dog you may
enable somebody to return it to you if it becomes lost. The
tag or collar must contain the owner’s name and address on
it. It is recommended that that as well as your home phone
number you also add a mobile number (if you have one) to allow a
finder to contact you if you are out looking for the
dog. Offending dogs may be seized and treated as strays.
Dangerous Dogs
The main legislation that covers dangerous dogs is the Dogs
Act 1871 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
The Dogs Act 1871 makes it an offence to have a dog which is
dangerous and not kept under proper control when in a public place,
and also in places where the dog is on the owner's private property
to which other people have a right of access.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 covers the law for the ownership
of pit bull terriers, Japanese tosas, Dogo Argentino and Fila
Braziliero. The Act also places restrictions on other dogs
believed to be in danger to the public. The Act makes it an offence
for a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place or, by
allowing it to enter a private property and while it is there,
injuring any person, or if there are grounds for reasonable
apprehension that it will do so. A dog does not have to bite
someone to be deemed dangerous. If you are convicted you can
face a fine up to £5,000 and/or up to two years in prison in
addition to the court ordering the destruction of the dog
involved. The police also have a duty to deal with dangerous
dogs.
Barking Dogs
The Council investigates noise complaints under the terms of
the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Complaints about barking or noisy dogs should initially
be forwarded to the Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Officer. The
Officer will initially contact you to discuss the details of your
complaint. With your agreement, the Officer will make contact
with the owner of the dog and offer advice on preventing or
minimising the noise. If the problem continues you will be
required to keep diary records of the dates and times the dog/s
is/are barking and how the noise affects you. The diary
records should then be submitted for assessment. If the
complaint is deemed to require further investigation, an
Environmental Health Officer will take over the supervision of the
complaint. You will be kept advised of the action we are
taking during investigations. Where verbal information is
given, this can be confirmed in writing if requested.
Advice an also be offered regarding feral cats. For additional
advice, please contact The Pickering and District Cats Protection
League on 01653 693958.
Further Information
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RSPCA) can provide specialist animal welfare information and
advice. Please contact them at their website below, call their
Yorkshire and North East Headquarters on 0113 234 2144, or write to
them at PO Box BR29, Leeds, LS13 2XL. The 24 hour RSPCA
cruelty line is 0870 55 55 999 (calls at national rate).
The Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (DEFRA) website contains detailed information about their
work to protect and improve livestock, as well as to control and
eradicate disease.
Alternatively please contact the Dog Warden and Animal Welfare
Officer at
dogwarden@ryedale.gov.uk or on
01653 600666 ext. 208.