From Sunday, 6th April, Local Authorities will have sole responsibility for dealing with stray dogs. The Police will now have no direct responsibility, which they hitherto shared with Local Authorities.

I don't know how much impact this will have on dog welfare or on the service provided, which was never sparkling in our region. We have always had to look after any stray dogs ourselves, if they came our way, to ensure their best possible chance of survival, 'repatriation' or re-homing.

Euthanasia has been one way of dealing with strays for Local Authorities and the RSPCA.

The Telegraph, The Times and the BBC have reported this issue in a balanced manner, with a variety of views and anxieties clearly expressed:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/04/04/eadogs104.xml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7329807.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7330173.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7320000/newsid_7329900/7329901.stm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3671195.ece

The Direct Gov website has a page on the subject of Stray Dogs, Dog Wardens etc., but is yet to be updated with details of the new arrangement, at the time of writing:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/AnimalsAndPets/DG_10026135

Is it a coincidence that the first website to come up on one particular Google search I did was that of the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham?

http://www.barking-dagenham.gov.uk/6-living/public-health/hcs-animal-stray-main.html

Joking apart, this site starkly lays out the obligations and powers of the Local Authority under the 'Environmental Protection (Stray Dogs) Regulations':

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19920288_en_1.htm

Legislation affecting dog ownership in the UK:

http://www.alternativevet.org/Laws%20for%20Dogs%20WS034-07.pdf

Other links:

Dogs Trust: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

Blue Cross: http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/home/home.asp

[Why not take a look at www.alternativevet.org , while you're here?]