RSPCA honours Basingstoke council's stray dog service

Animals and lost dogs in the borough receive the best possible care according to the dog charity which has awarded the prestigious platinum award to the council's stray dog service.

This is the 10th year in a row the council’s dog warden service, environmental health team and community safety patrol officers have been recognised for their treatment and welfare of stray dogs, the out-of-hours service and partnership working to promote responsible ownership.

READ MORE: 'We have named him Murphy' - stray dog near A30 safely caught by council

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's award-winning team represented by dog warden Laura and Rhianne from the licensing team with Jessie and Mia the Alsatian (Image: Supplied) In addition, the council’s licensing team has won at Gold Pawprint Award for its animal activity licensing service that provides licences to businesses delivering services such as animal breeding and boarding and also makes sure that they comply with animal welfare regulations.

Cabinet member for residents’ services and housing Cllr Laura James said: “We want to deliver the best services for our residents and I am delighted that our high standards have been recognised by the RSPCA.

“Our dog warden and other teams who provide these vital services do a fantastic job and these awards are a direct result of their hard work and commitment.”

People can help to keep their dogs safe by ensuring that they are microchipped with up-to-date owner details and wear tags detailing owner contact details so that if they get lost they can be returned home as soon as possible.

Stray dogs will incur a release fee, kennelling charge and possibly an out-of-hours call out fee. Dog owners are reminded that all dogs must be microchipped and registered, otherwise their owners could be prosecuted and face fines of up to £500.