The council picked up Gold Awards for both its stray dog service and contingency planning team, which go the extra mile to promote animal welfare.
The stray dog service received the award for the tenth year in a row for going above and beyond their basic service requirements to ensure higher animal welfare standards, and actively promoting schemes and services such as micro-chipping.
The contingency planning team picked up the award for the third consecutive year in recognition of their work to make sure the care of animals and pets is included in the council’s plans for emergencies.
Leader of the council, Cllr Roger Truelove, who also has responsibility for emergency planning, said:
“To have our commitment to animal welfare recognised by the RSPCA is a great honour.
We know that in an emergency people want to be sure that their animals are safe, and it’s not unheard of for people to put themselves at risk for the sake of their pets.
By having plans in place to offer space in rest centres for pets wherever possible, and helping the public prepare in advance, we can ease the worry of people in an already difficult situation.”
Cllr Tim Valentine, the cabinet member for environment at the council, said:
“I’m incredibly proud of the work that the stray dog team do, and it’s fantastic they have been recognised for the work they do to help lost or abandoned pets.
The award recognises the entire service - the initial call, the officer who retrieves a dog, the out-of-hours provision, and even the use of social media to reunite owners and pets.
Most dog owners will never use the service, but if they ever do, I hope it’s reassuring to know their pets will receive excellent care until they are reunited.”
For news on stray dogs found in Swale, follow the council’s Twitter account or the service’s Facebook page
To report a stray dog during normal office hours, the public should call: 01795 417850 where arrangements will be made for the dog to be collected.
If a dog is found between 5:00pm and 9:00pm on weekday evenings, and between 9:00am and 9:00pm at weekends and on bank holidays, the public should ring the found stray dog line on: 07795 237479.
Swale Borough Council
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