The Dog Warden will help you if you lose your dog, and aims to help prevent stray dogs from being a danger in traffic or a nuisance to people.
Our Dog Wardens:
- Respond to reports of dangerous dogs,
- Catch and detain stray dogs,
- Enforce local byelaws on dog fouling and
- Investigate complaints of barking dogs.
The first time a dog is caught straying, the dog wardens will try to trace the owners and return it.
Any other stray will be kept safely for up to seven days.
Any complaint regarding dogs straying on school premises or interfering with the flow of traffic will be dealt with urgently.
We will respond to any complaints about dangerous dogs or where a stray dog is confined and needs to be collected as quickly as possible, but always within 2 working days. Other service requests will be responded to as quickly as possible but always within 5 working days.
Some complaints cannot be dealt with by the Dog Warden. These will be passed quickly to the appropriate agency (e.g. the Police or RSPCA).
Tag your dog!
Your dog must wear a tag by law when out in a public place.
The first time we catch your dog straying we will return it to you. But we can only do this if it is wearing a tag, or is micro-chipped.
If we catch a stray dog, and we can't trace the owner, we will keep it in boarding kennels at your expense. If you do not collect your dog within seven days, you will lose the right to reclaim it, and we will try to re-home it.
The Dog (Fouling of Land) Act 1996
The Dog (fouling of land) Act 1996 came into force on 1st May 1997.
This Act means that it is illegal to fail to clear up after your dog if it fouls any land which is open to the air and to which the public have access.
The penalty for contravening the Act is a £50 fixed penalty fine.
As well as being offensive, dog fouling causes serious health risks. Infection by the parasitic worm, Toxocara Canis, is spread by dog faeces. This may cause stomach pains, fever and even blindness.
If you witness a person in charge of a dog failing to clean up after it, you can report them by contacting the Dog Warden on 01274 433927 or by using the online form. Please provide the date, time, location and, if possible, the name of the dog owner.
