Paws for thought as Wokingham Borough Council officially named as pooch friendly
Stray dogs in the Wokingham Borough have got silver footprints according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), which declared the council’s environmental health team as one of the most dog-friendly in the country this week.
Wokingham Borough Council’s environmental health team has been awarded a prestigious Silver Footprint for Stray Dogs as part of the RSPCA’s first ever Community Animal Welfare Footprint awards.
The awards have been set up to recognise local authorities and housing associations that have excellent animal welfare policies and practices. Wokingham Borough Council was acknowledged for its stray dog services, which includes a comprehensive out of hours service, dedicated animal warden and schemes to help reunite lost dogs with their owners as quickly as possible.
The RSPCA praised the council for being proactive and said that with some minor improvements, including having more information about the public’s responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act on its website, it could achieve a gold footprint next year.
Joe Dray, Wokingham principal environmental health officer, said: “It’s really encouraging that an organisation such as the RSPCA has recognised how hard we are working to improve animal welfare in the borough and I’m pleased that we received a silver footprint for our stray dog services.
“This award shows that we are already one of the top performing authorities in the country for stray dog services and I hope with a few minor adjustments we will be awarded a gold footprint next year!”
As well as the stray dog service the RSPCA recognised the council’s Dog & Bone text scheme, which helps alert dog-walkers to an escaped pooch via a text message, so that wayward pets can be reunited with their owners as quickly as possible, which was launched in January by animal warden Mandy Dorman. The scheme helped secure the silver footprint award.
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham corporate services, added: “The council’s environmental health team works hard to make sure animals in the Wokingham Borough are as safe and protected as possible, especially stray dogs.
“I’m delighted that the RSPCA, which is one of the country’s leading animal welfare organisations, has recognised that we have good policies in place for dealing with stray dogs and animal welfare and that we have an innovative approach to improving services.”
Residents who want to register for the Dog & Bone scheme can call Mandy Dorman on (0118) 974 6356 or can email lostdogs@wokingham.gov.uk
Wokingham Borough Council’s environmental health team has been awarded a prestigious Silver Footprint for Stray Dogs as part of the RSPCA’s first ever Community Animal Welfare Footprint awards.
The awards have been set up to recognise local authorities and housing associations that have excellent animal welfare policies and practices. Wokingham Borough Council was acknowledged for its stray dog services, which includes a comprehensive out of hours service, dedicated animal warden and schemes to help reunite lost dogs with their owners as quickly as possible.
The RSPCA praised the council for being proactive and said that with some minor improvements, including having more information about the public’s responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act on its website, it could achieve a gold footprint next year.
Joe Dray, Wokingham principal environmental health officer, said: “It’s really encouraging that an organisation such as the RSPCA has recognised how hard we are working to improve animal welfare in the borough and I’m pleased that we received a silver footprint for our stray dog services.
“This award shows that we are already one of the top performing authorities in the country for stray dog services and I hope with a few minor adjustments we will be awarded a gold footprint next year!”
As well as the stray dog service the RSPCA recognised the council’s Dog & Bone text scheme, which helps alert dog-walkers to an escaped pooch via a text message, so that wayward pets can be reunited with their owners as quickly as possible, which was launched in January by animal warden Mandy Dorman. The scheme helped secure the silver footprint award.
Cllr Rob Stanton, executive member for Wokingham corporate services, added: “The council’s environmental health team works hard to make sure animals in the Wokingham Borough are as safe and protected as possible, especially stray dogs.
“I’m delighted that the RSPCA, which is one of the country’s leading animal welfare organisations, has recognised that we have good policies in place for dealing with stray dogs and animal welfare and that we have an innovative approach to improving services.”
Residents who want to register for the Dog & Bone scheme can call Mandy Dorman on (0118) 974 6356 or can email lostdogs@wokingham.gov.uk
Wokingham Borough Council
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