Council’s Dog Wardens Get Gold!
The council’s Newport City Dogs Home, and its dog control service, has achieved the Stray Dogs Gold Footprints award for the third year running.
The award is part of the RSPCA’s Community Animal Welfare Footprints 2016 (CAWF).
To achieve gold status, the team at Newport City Council had to show evidence of:
- dog handling, welfare and behaviour training for all officers responsible for stray dog collection;
- procedures to treat injured and sick stray dogs efficiently and humanely, including those found by the public;
- the council’s stray dog kennels and out-of-hours reception centre having clear facilities, protocols and procedures that meet the five needs defined under the Animal Welfare Act;
- an out-of-hours provision
- information provided to owners reclaiming strays on how to prevent the animal straying again;
- a clear rehoming policy for kennels to ensure all dogs rehomed are assessed – behaviourally and physically – and permanently identified, and that potential new owners are vetted;
- active promotion of microchipping and/or other methods of permanent identification, neutering and the duty of care under section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006;
- microchipping or other permanent identification offered to all stray dogs before being returned to owners or rehomed;
- regular proactive work to encourage responsible pet ownership.
Councillor Bob Poole, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Functions, said: “Our staff work hard to ensure that any stray or unwanted dogs are well cared for and provided with the most suitable opportunity for their future care. We recently rebranded the services as Newport City Dogs Home, and I am very pleased that the efforts of the team have once again been recognised.”
Members of the team received their award today at a reception at the Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay, hosted by Lesley Griffiths AM, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.
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