Animal Welfare
Three Rivers District Council has adopted the powers given in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which places a duty on animal owners/keepers to ensure the needs of their animals are met. This also includes individuals whose responsibility is temporary i.e. they look after an animal while the owner is away. More information about the Animal Welfare Act 2006 can be downloaded below.
Within the council, animal control is a high profile service, providing not only the control of stray dogs, but also many other aspects regarding Animal Welfare.
The services provided are:
- Duties under the Animal Welfare Act 2006
- The control of stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Noise Control under the EPA 1990 (barking dogs and other animal noise)
- Duties under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989
- Duties under the Dogs Fouling of Land Act 1996 (dog fouling notices).
- Duties under the Animal Boarding Establishment Act 1963
- Duties under the Pet Animals Act 1951
The Council provides a free service for the removal of dead animals from public accessible areas. We do not remove dead animals from private residences. To request the removal of a dead animal in a public place, contact the Customer Services Centre on 01923 776611 or e-mail enquiries@threerivers.gov.uk
Cruelty to animals - who should you call.
If you suspect that an animal of any kind is being subjected to any form of cruelty then the only organisation that can legally deal with this is the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). You can telephone the National Cruelty Helpline on 0870 5555 999.
If you would like to know more on any of the issues raised or indeed any other related matters then please call the Animal Control Officer on the details above.
The Council has formal links with the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in enforcing national legislation governing the health and welfare of farm animals. This includes responding to complaints of neglect or ill treatment of livestock on farms, during transport, at markets, etc.
The identification and registration schemes that are in place to control animal movements are also overseen by the Council, along with the issuing of animal movement licences for on-farm movements and movement to slaughter.