Pendle Council’s dog warden team is celebrating picking up their fifth successive RSPCA Gold Footprint award.
This national award recognises organisations that have gone above and beyond their basic service requirements to provide higher standards of care for dogs they collect as well as the educational programmes they run.
Coun. Joe Cooney, Leader of Pendle Council, said: “This award is the RSPCA’s seal of approval for how we care for dogs in Pendle and encourage responsible animal ownership.
“As such, it’s a great accolade for our dog wardens.
“What’s clear from winning this award for the fifth year running is that the service is still being delivered to a very high standard in Pendle and our dog warden team is among the very best in the country.
“Well done to Kat and Ian, and to Laura who is currently on maternity leave.”
Lenny Rolles, Senior Parliamentary Advisor with the RSPCA, said: “It is very good to see Pendle Council has maintained a commitment to animal welfare by providing a good standard of care for stray dogs in spite of tough financial pressures on local authorities.”
Dog warden Katrina Bullas said: “It means a lot to us to win this RSPCA award. Getting it for five years in a row is an achievement we’re incredibly proud of.
“And we certainly don’t rest on our laurels. Each year we continue striving to improve our standards making sure that the dogs that come into our care are well looked after.”
The dog wardens also promote responsible dog ownership through their contact with dog owners at microchipping events and attendance at dog training clubs.
They also do a lot of work with schoolchildren, attending assemblies and running workshops to teach them how to care for a dog.
Dog warden Ian Cockcroft said: “In Pendle we strive to promote responsible dog ownership through education and encouragement. However there are some occasions when formal intervention is needed, and the Gold Footprints award recognises the work we do in order to ensure the welfare of all dogs we deal with.”
For more information about the work of the wardens, go to www.pendle.gov.uk or call 661763.