Hambleton’s dog warden service – and the purge on dog fouling – has been expanded.
The council has brought pest control into the team, meaning all the officers can deal with both services.
The in house dog warden service was set up two years ago to carry out patrols in areas where fouling is an issue to act as a deterrent and issue on the spot fines where necessary – as well as deal with stray dogs. Since then the number of stray dog calls has risen from 93 to 310 and fouling incidents from 60 to 171. Fouling is also a concern for local people – in a recent survey 52% of residents reported incidents near their homes.
“In order to deliver a better dog warden service we have decided to combine the two teams,” said Head of Service – Environment, Paul Staines.
“It means we can still undertake all our pest control duties but when the officers are out and about they can also deal with dog issues.
“One person undertaking all the work relating to stray dogs and dog fouling across a district the size of Hambleton was untenable. Now the team can be multi-functional – and will be a very visible presence in their newly liveried vehicles.
“The team will be out and about checking known dog fouling hotspots and keeping their eyes open for problems.”
He said that it is hoped the new service will also have the capacity to work more closely with schools and parishes to proactively promote and address dog fouling problems.