DEFRA officials have held a number of discussions with the Local Government Association, local authorities and other interested organisations, about the financial impact of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. When commenced, section 68 will transfer responsibility for stray dogs from the police solely to local authorities.
In October last year, the Local Government Association contacted their members to calculate a representative cost estimate for local authorities to take on the duty set out in section 68. At the same time, the Association of Police Officers calculated the police’s current spend on fulfilling their stray dog duties.
A stakeholder group comprising of the Dogs Trust, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Dog Warden Association, Dog Theft Action and representatives from dogs homes and kennels was convened in June 2006 to assist in developing a voluntary code of practice for stray dogs. This guidance will be made available to local authorities in time for the commencement of section 68.