D
Dog Fun Day - Wednesday 27th August
2008
The day was a great success, if a bit
chaotic! There were no incidents between either dogs or
owners and everyone seemed to have a good time.
Those of you who didn't receive a rosette on the day for the
Eastleigh Good Dog Test will have one sent to them shortly.
We have two clear winners for the Guess the Number of Biscuits
competition and they are:-
- Bob Miell and
- Victoria (surname not known)
We will be contacting them by telephone as soon as we can.
The Guess the Breed competition is being marked at the moment
and the winner will be notified.
There was no winner for the Guess the Dog's Name competition so
we are going to put all of the names of those who entered into a
hat and pick one out - again the winner will be notified. The
dog's name was HENRY
It is intended to put some of the photos taken on the day onto
the website over the coming week or so.
Thank you to everyone who attended and we hope you enjoyed the
day as much as we did. If you have any feedback we would
appreciate your comments. email eh@eastleigh.gov.uk
Dogs
Please note: Any
complaint made to Environmental Health is in confidence. Your
details will not be divulged to members of the public.
We do not take anonymous calls. If you want to make a complaint you
must be prepared to give your full details, ie: Name,
address, contact number.
In 2004 96 tonnes of dog waste was collected from the
dog waste bins situated throughout the Borough.
Eastleigh Borough Council has designated all land within the
Borough, which is open to air and to which the public are entitled
or permitted to have access, under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996.
Persons who fail to clear up after their dog face either a £50
Fixed Penalty fine or prosecution in a Magistrates Court with a
maximum penalty of £1,000 plus costs.
What if
? I SEE SOMEONE NOT CLEARING
UP AFTER THEIR DOG
If you know where the offender
lives or you can find this out, contact the Animal Welfare
Officers. They will advise the offender of the
legislation. Your details are kept
confidential.
What
if? THE STREET OUTSIDE MY
HOUSE/THE ROUTES TO SCHOOL/THE AREA WHERE I EXERCISE MY DOG IS
BADLY FOULED
Contact the Animal Welfare Officers
who will visit the area and arrange for cleansing if they consider
it necessary. The area will then be monitored on a number of
occasions and appropriate action will be taken if they witness an
offence. If, in the opinion of the Officers, the area is a
problem area, dog fouling signs may be erected.
If you have any information on who
may be causing the fouling let the Animal Welfare Officers know so
that further action can be taken.
What if?
I NOTICE A SMELL OF DOG FAECES FROM MY NEIGHBOUR'S GARDEN
This is covered under Section 79 of
the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which deals with statutory
nuisance. Contact the Animal Welfare Officers, who may need to
visit your property in order to assess the nuisance and establish
an appropriate form of action.
Dog Waste Bins
At present there are nearly 300 dog
waste bins installed throughout the Borough. These are placed
on recreation grounds, sports fields, Country Parks and open
spaces.
What
if? THERE IS NOT A DOG BIN
WHERE I WALK MY DOG
The Dogs (Fouling of
Land) Act 1996 does not require Local Authorities to install
dog waste bins. However, Eastleigh Borough Council prefer to
encourage responsible dog ownership by installing dog waste bins in
key dog walking areas. In the absence of an appropriate bin,
securely bagged and tied dog waste may be placed in either a
litter bin or in your domestic black bin.
What
if? A BIN HAS BEEN
VANDALISED
Contact the Animal Welfare Officers
who will visit and take necessary action.
What
if? A BIN IS OVERFLOWING ON
A REGULAR BASIS
Contact the Animal Welfare Officers
who will monitor the situation to see whether a larger bin or more
frequent emptying is required.
From 1st April 2003 - 31st March
2004 127 stray dogs were picked up within Eastleigh Borough.
Of these, 35 were unclaimed and signed over to welfare
societies for re-homing.
A stray dog is defined as any dog
that is in a public place or a private place where it should not
be, without its owner/keeper in attendance.
Under the
Environmental Protection Act 1990 each Local Authority has a
designated officer to deal with stray dogs.
A stray dog may be reclaimed by
its owner after full payment of a statutory fee, daily kennel fee
and any other expenses incurred. This will include veterinary fees,
if applicable.
What if? I LOSE
MY DOG
Contact the Animal Welfare
Officers covering the area you lost your dog. They will
take details of your dog and give further advice on any further
action you should take.
What
if? I FIND A DOG
If you find a dog it is an
offence not to inform the Local Authority covering the area in
which you found it. The Animal Welfare Officers
will collect the dog during normal working hours. If a
dog has a tag with the owner's name and address inscribed, you may
return it directly to them.
What
if? I FIND OR LOSE A
DOG OUT OF OFFICE HOURS (EVENINGS OR WEEK-ENDS)
There is an out-of-hours service
for stray dogs. If you do find or lose a dog at the
week-end or after the office is closed you should telephone 023
8051 0065.
What
if? MY DOG IS STOLEN
You should report your stolen dog
to the Police and obtain a crime number. Also report the
theft to the Animal Welfare Officers who will give advice on any
further action you may take.
What
if? I FIND A STRAY IN
POOR CONDITION
The Animal Welfare Officers
assess all stray dogs and will obtain veterinary treatment as
required. If they consider there is a welfare problem they
will contact the
RSPCA to decide on
any further action.
For further information email
eh@eastleigh.gov.uk
Dog Tags
The Council offer dog tags at
special prices. Simply print off, complete and return this
coupon with your
payment. You can choose from brass or acrylic, in a choice of
colours and each is available as small (26mm diameter) or medium
(32mm).
Please remember that when out in
public places dogs are required by law to wear a collar and tag
displaying the name and address of the owner - otherwise your dog
could be seized and treated as a stray. For more information
contact 023 8068 8137.
Collar and Tag
Many owners choose to remove their
dog's collar while it is on their own property. For this
reason, the Animal Welfare Officers appreciate that a stray dog may
not be wearing its collar and tag. See "Does your dog have a
chip on its shoulder" below.
The Control
of Dogs Order 1992 makes it an offence for a dog to be in
a public place without a collar and tag inscribed with the name and
address of the owner/keeper. This offence carries a
maximum penalty of £5,000.
What
if? MY DOG ESCAPES AND IT IS
NOT WEARING ITS COLLAR AND TAG
Contact the Animal Welfare
Officers. They will inform you if they are holding a dog
matching your dog's description. They will also advise you on
further action to take.
What
if? MY DOG IS IDENTICHIPPED
OR TATTOOED
This is an excellent idea as it is
a permanent form of identification. Most Veterinary
Surgeries and Local Authorities have scanners. However, this
is not a legal requirement and dogs must still wear an inscribed
collar and tag when in public.
Dangerous Dogs
The three Acts below deal with
any situation where dogs bite/attack/worry people or livestock or
other dogs.
What
if? A DOG ATTACKS MY CAT
There is no specific legislation
with regard to dog versus cat attacks. However, it may be
possible to take civil action. You should take the
advice of a solicitor if you wish to do this.
What
if? A DOG ATTACKS MY DOG
It may be possible for the Police
to take formal action under the Dogs
Act 1871, or advice may be given. Contact the Animal
Welfare Officers for further information.
What
if? A DOG BITES
ME
If you wish formal action to
be taken, you must give a statement to the Police. Contact
them immediately. Alternatively, a more informal approach may be
required with the Police or Animal Welfare Officers giving advice
only.
Noise from barking dogs
Bored
and lonely dogs are more inclined to bark.
Nuisance due to barking dogs is
covered under the
Environmental Protection Act 1990.
A Noise Abatement Notice may be
served if the nuisance is proved. If there is a breach of Notice,
formal action may incur fines of up to £5,000.
What
if? MY NEIGHBOUR'S DOG
BARKS WHEN THEY ARE AT WORK
If possible, talk to your
neighbour. They may not know their dog is barking and if they
are made aware of the problem they can take steps to solve
it. If you are unable to talk to your neighbour, or
talking to them has no effect, contact the Animal Welfare
Officers. Once an official complaint is received the
following will happen:
- A letter will be sent to the house owner/occupier advising them
that there has been a complaint. They will be made aware that
an investigation may occur.
- You will be required to complete log sheets of when and for how
long the nuisance occurs. This record is necessary to help
the Animal Welfare Officers see if there is any pattern to the
noise and will be used in the event of the case going to
Court.
- If, once you have returned the log sheets, the nuisance
continues, sound recording equipment may be installed in
your property.
- If a statutory nuisance is proven, an Abatement Notice will be
served to control the nuisance.
What if? I THINK MY
DOG IS CAUSING A PROBLEM
Contact the Animal Welfare Officers who will be able to advise
you where to seek help.
What if? I THINK THERE IS A
WELFARE PROBLEM WITH A BARKING DOG
This is something that would need to be discussed on an
individual basis, so again, contact the Animal Welfare Officers for
advice.
Dog Breeding
There are no licenced dog breeders within Eastleigh Borough.
The
Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 applies to
both pedigree and crossbreed dogs.
What if? I WANT TO HAVE A
LITTER FROM MY PET DOG
You will not require a licence if you wish to have one
litter. However, if you intend to breed you should consult
your veterinary surgeon and the relevant breeders club if your dog
is a pedigree. They can advise you on health issues and
possible hereditary problems.
What if? I WANT TO SELL
PUPPIES I HAVE NOT BRED MYSELF
It is an offence to sell any animal in the course of a business
without a Pet Shop Licence. This includes selling an animal
or animals on behalf of another person.
What if? I WANT TO
BREED DOGS IN MY HOUSE
You may require a licence to do this and if so,
you must comply with the licence conditions. Contact the
Animal
Welfare Officers for further information.
What if? OTHER PEOPLE
LOOK AFTER MY DOGS AND WANT TO BREED THEM
Even if a dog does not live with you, you may require a
licence for them to be bred. Contact the Animal Welfare
Officers for further advice .
Drainage
Blocked Drains
Drainage law is often confusing but the following is a guide
to who is responsible.
A single private drain is the responsibility of the owner of
the property to maintain, clear and repair if necessary.
A private sewer is the joint responsibility of every household
draining into it. They remain private until they connect to the
public sewer, even though they may run under roads or pavements.
Blockages and repairs of private sewers are the responsibility of
all households upstream of the problem.
A public sewer is the responsibility of the Water Company. In
Eastleigh this is Southern Water. If your property was sewered with
at least one other property, before 1 October 1937, then your sewer
is a public sewer. However, some sewers built after this date may
be 'adopted' by the Water Company.
Out of normal office hours, if there is evidence of a blockage
as outlined above, then it is the responsibility of the
houseowner(s) to arrange clearance, either by the use of drain rods
or engaging a contractor .
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Page Last Updated: 9/1/2008
Eastleigh Borough Council
legal disclaimer
Website Comments: webmaster@eastleigh.gov.uk
Eastleigh Borough Council, Civic Offices, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, SO50 9YN
Telephone: 023 8068 8068, Fax: 023 8064 3952, Text: 07797 877001
Email:
direct@eastleigh.gov.uk