Dog Warden Service

Our service objective is to provide a rapid, professional and caring service to the community, to maintain the Borough free of stray and roaming dogs and to minimise dog fouling, within available resources.

If you require the Dog Warden please contact 01200 425111 during 8.45am - 5.00pm. If you require the dog warden outside of this time contact the council's out of hours number 01200 444448

The dog warden service

The service is provided by officers who also undertake pest control duties.

As Dog Wardens we undertake the following duties;

• sick / injured dogs
• collection of strays
• dog fouling complaints
• dog barking complaints
• surveys / erection of anti 'dog fouling' signs
• education
• dangerous dog / dog pack complaints (dangerous dogs and dog attacks are the responsibility of the Police service, however, the dog wardens offer assistance wherever possible during office hours).

Collection of stray dogs

Local authorities are required to make adequate provision for dealing with stray dogs. The Dog Wardens undertake both routine patrols and respond to complaints of roaming dogs.

Where a dog has a collar ang tag (or is micro chipped) the animal will be returned to it's owner on the first occasion and a charge of £30 will be made. Thereafter the dog will be taken automatically to kennels. Any dog without an identity tag will automatically be taken to kennels. To recover a dog from kennels both a fine and incurred kennelling fees will be charged before the dog can be reclaimed.

All our dogs are taken to Aspen Valley Kennels, Oswaldtwistle (01254 233702)

If you lose a dog, please notify the local police station and the dog warden service as quickly as possible.

Dog fouling

Dog fouling is a highly emotive subject and is the cause of one of the highest number of complaints made to the Borough Council each year.

As a result Councillors and Council Officers take this matter very seriously and are committed to improving present local conditions. To help, we have introduced new laws to combat indiscriminate dog fouling of public areas and open spaces.

Our aim is to achieve a change in the attitude amongst the small number of dog owners who are believed to be causing the problem.

We anticipate this will improve the local environment for the good of everyone.

Dog fouling is unacceptable on both amenity and public health grounds. There is basically no difference between dog and human faeces. The deposition of human faeces was addressed and prohibited under the Public Health Acts in the 1840's. It is now time to address dog fouling. The common attitudes of some un-social dog owners that the do not wish their pet to foul in their own gardens, but they have the right to foul public areas, and not clean up afterwards, is not acceptable and must change.

Please pay your part in caring for the local community. Dog owners and non dog owners have the right to live side by side. Public areas are a common amenity for use and enjoyment for everyone.

Please be responsible and:

• Toilet train your dog to 'go at home'. Set aside a selected area of your garden / yard or use a litter tray;
• Make sure any fouling by your dog in any public place, including footpaths through fields is cleaned up by you - use a 'poop scoop'.
• It is best to train when a dog is still a puppy but older dogs can learn too! Get a dog used to a routine and 'to go' on command.
• Dispose of resulting matter by double wrapping it in plastic bags and include with your normal household waste.

On the 1st March 1998, the Council made an Order under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996. The Order makes in an offence for a person in charge of a dog not to remove it's faeces from land which has been designated. Designated land includes all roads with a speed limit of 40mph or less, all adjoining footpaths and grass verges and most municipal open spaces and land nominated by the Council.

A Register of Designated Land under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 is available for reference at the Level C reception at the Council Offices, Church Walk, Clitheroe during normal office hours (9am - 5pm Monday - Friday).

In addition to these provisions, the previous dog by-laws remain in force until August 2006 and apply to all highway footpaths and grass verges not covered by the above.

Also the Litter (Animal Droppings) Order 1991 classifies dog faeces as litter which incurs similar penalties.

The new Order substantially increases the penalty for non compliance to a potential maximum fine of £1,000. The Council has also adopted an 'On the Spot' fixed penalty system (similar to that used by the Police for traffic offences) which carries a fine of £50.

This Authority formally adopted the Enforcement Concordat in March 1998.

The following initiatives and measures are undertaken in Ribble Valley;

• Erection of Dog 'Clean Up' Zone signs on all major roads into our towns 7 villages
• Erection of Dog Fouling 'Offence' Signs on lampposts
• High profile patrols of municipal areas and parks
• Use mobile CCTV system to undertake covert surveillance
• Distribute information leaflets via public offices and local Vet Centres
• Provided 53 Dog Waste Bins throughout the borough
• Assist private landowners by the erection of temporary dog fouling signs on footpaths in fields etc.