Dogs

My neighbour doesn't feed/walk/take care of their dog. How can I help it? 

Any concerns regarding Animal Welfare should be directly reported to the RSPCA, but please bear in mind the sheer volume of calls that the RSPCA receive every day and have patience after reporting it. You can report welfare issues by: 

• Phoning the RSPCA's Animal Cruelty Line 0300 123 4999 

I always pick up my dogs waste, but there are no 'dog waste' bins. What do I do? 

Dog Waste bins are usually located within the surroundings of local parks and streets where there are likely to be a high volume of Dog Walkers. If there does not seem to be any Dog Waste bins specifically then we ask people to bear in mind the following phrase: ANY BIN WILL DO. Any normal street waste bin within the North Warwickshire will be acceptable to have dog waste put in it so long as it is tied in a dog waste bag or something similar. 

Alternatively, if you feel that this is not possible for some reason then you can take the bag home and deposit it in your household domestic waste. 

I think I may need help looking after my dog, can you help me? 

Below are the names of some charities that may be able to advise you. 

1. The Dogs Trust
2. The Blue Cross
3. Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals search PDSA
4. RSPCA 

I always pick up after my dog, but there are no Dog Bins in my area. How do I request some? 

Above all else, please remember that ANY BIN WILL DO - This includes not only public general waste bins, but also your household and domestic waste at home. Remember, you will still be held accountable if your dog fouls and you fail to clean up - regardless of whether or not there are any bins in the area. This will not be tolerated as an excuse. 

North Warwickshire Borough Council only has the authority to place bins on land that is the property of the Borough Council and in some cases it may be that the location you wish to request a bin for is actually the responsibility of the local Parish Council. If this is the case then it is advisable to direct your request at the local Parish Council. However, if you do feel that your neighbourhood is in desperate need of a dog waste bin or any other bins and the land on which you want the bin placed is the property of North Warwickshire Borough Council, then please contact our Customer Services, details displayed, and they will direct your call appropriately so as to deal with and take your request into consideration. 

If you fail to pick up after your dog you could be prosecuted or given an instant fixed penalty notice (fine) of £80 if  Council staff see the offence or if it is caught on CCTV. 

I have been issued a Fixed Penalty Notice for failing to pick up after my dog – I have heard that I don’t have to pay the full amount if I pay it quickly?

• That is correct, the standard cost is £80, if it is paid within 7 days the cost is £50. 

Can I appeal?

There are no formal grounds of appeal. A FPN (fixed penalty notice) is an invitation for you to effectively cancel your liability to prosecution. This means if you agree that you have committed an offence and pay the fine, no further action (prosecution) will be taken. This saves both you and the courts time. The cost of a FPN is likely to be substantially lower than a court fine. The maximum penalty for failing to pick up after your dog is £1,000. 

What if I don’t agree that I committed the offence?

In this case, it would be dealt with through formal prosecution. It will then be up to the court - on receiving evidence - to decide if a penalty should be imposed. If you appeal, you will take the formal court route. Please note: the financial penalty imposed by the Courts can be significantly greater than a FPN. 

Why should I pay if there are no signs about dog fouling in the area where I failed to pick up after my dog?

We are not required to place signs tell people not to leave their dog poo/inform them dog fouling patrols are operating. Dog Fouling legislation has been in force for many years. 

Why should I pay a FPN when there were no dog poo bins nearby at the time?

We cannot place bins in every single street or road. We try to place bins where they are most needed: the town centre, school routes and major shopping areas. 

But I wasn’t given a warning, surely that is not fair?

Our dog fouling campaign has been ongoing; this is no use if the message is being ignored. We take our enforcement duties seriously and the aim of our enforcement patrols target those who choose to ignore dog fouling laws. 

If I am caught, I will just pick the dog poo up and nothing will happen will it?

Wrong: the offence relates to failing to pick up your dog poo and walking away. Therefore you have committed an offence and will be issued with a FPN.