Dog Warden and Animal Welfare Service
The 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.
- investigating complaints regarding dog fouling, stray dogs,
dangerous dogs and barking dogs
- providing advice to customers in relation to responsible dog
ownership
- providing educational talks and initiatives to promote
responsible dog ownership, delivering talks to schools, youth
groups and general public awareness campaigns
- providing dog fouling information and the erection of signs
throughout the district
- liaising with parish/town councils over the provision of dog
waste bins or dog waste bag dispensers
- arranging special clean ups with the Council’s Streetscene team
and assisting other key organisations such as RSPCA and Police in
relation to complaints regarding animal welfare
- providing 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 do so
by an authorised officer;
- permitting a dog to enter land from which dogs are excluded;
and
- 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.
The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 is enforced
across the entire area of publicly accessible land throughout the
district.
- 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
- Offenders could receive a fixed penalty ticket of £50
which if not paid within 14 days could result in the matter being
taken to the Magistrates Court, which could result in a fine of
£1,000
- 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
- The 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
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.
What to do if you lose a dog
If you lose a dog during normal working hours please
contact:
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.
What to do if you find a dog
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.
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.
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.
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).