Round of a-paws as Dacorum Borough Council’s receives RSPCA award for its animal welfare work

Dacorum Borough Council has been recognised for its high standards for its work in animal welfare.

The authority was awarded the platinum standard in the annual RSPCA PawPrints awards. The award is the highest level of recognition that can be achieved.

It is awarded to organisations that have achieved Gold PawPrints status for five or more consecutive years.

Both the council’s Environmental Community Protection Animal Welfare service and Housing teams have been recognised for good practice and for achieving higher animal welfare standards.

The teams excelled with their respective ‘Stray Dogs Footprint’ and ‘Housing Footprint’.

The Stray Dogs Footprint sets a level of good practice for stray dog provision by acknowledging local authority services with measures and policies to ensure dog welfare, provide staff training, and promote responsible dog ownership.

It also aims to encourage authorities to look at this important and often undervalued service and address issues that may help them to meet the footprint criteria in the future.

Cllr Robin Bromham, who represents Neighbourhood Operations, said “We’re thrilled to be awarded the prestigious platinum standard in the annual RSPCA PawPrints awards for our exceptional work in the Stray Dogs Footprint category. This recognition reflects our commitment to ensuring the welfare of stray dogs in our community and our dedication to responsible dog ownership. We are proud to set a high standard for animal welfare practices."

The Housing Footprint recognises housing providers which take positive steps to encourage and ensure responsible pet ownership in the properties they manage.

It also aims to encourage pets-in-housing policies that are not just a ‘knee-jerk’ response to problems that have arisen through a weak pet policy or tensions created by an anti-social minority.

Cllr Simy Dhyani, who represents housing in the borough, said: " Our commitment to promoting responsible pet ownership within the properties we manage is unwavering. We aim to create a community that values and respects the well-being of pets and their owners, and this award is a testament to our ongoing dedication to this cause."

The Animal Welfare team assists with concerns regarding the neglect or abuse of animals. Concerns can be reported to the team by emailing [email protected] or calling 01442 228455.