Council defends its stray dog policy

A COUNCIL has defended the way it deals with strays after telling a Lowestoft woman who found a dog that she would have to look after it overnight herself.

A COUNCIL has defended the way it deals with strays after telling a Lowestoft woman who found a dog that she would have to look after it overnight herself.

Strays used to be taken in by the police, but last year the duty to collect them and provide kennels passed to local councils.

Waveney MP Bob Blizzard has criticised Waveney District Council's service after one of his constituents was told to look after a dog herself.

Caye Wood found a dog after it nearly caused a road accident on Normanston Drive. She contacted the police, then Waveney District Council, but was told that as it was after 4.30pm she would either have to look after it until the following morning or release it back where it had been found.

Mr Blizzard said: 'This is a shocking story - another failing of the Tory-controlled council. It reveals a lack of care for the dogs themselves and the danger in which strays put themselves and other people.'

A spokesman for the council said that although local authorities had been given responsibility for dealing with stray dogs, they were not obliged to provide a 24-hour service. He said that Waveney was given just �7,000 of government funding to pay for the new kennel service.

Ken Sale, the council's cabinet member for the environment, said that the council has dealt with 366 stray dogs since April last year.

He said: 'Mr Blizzard would rather resort to council bashing than engage with us directly to learn more about the increasing problems we face from irresponsible dog owners. It is these owners who cause problems by not keeping their pets under proper control and whose careless actions impact directly on the council tax payer.'