£100 stray dog charge ‘could lead to debts’

Pendle Council’s executive will meet to decide if senior councillors will implement a controversial decision to charge pet owners £100 to get their dog back from the kennels if it has escaped and is found by a dog warden.

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There is expected to be a protest outside Nelson Town Hall this evening during the meeting from dog owners who feel the charge is unfair and will lead to the deaths of many beloved pets.

Liberal Democrat councillor David Whipp said the current charge of £36 already left dog owners facing a debt of up to £116 as the price of kennelling was an added cost that increased with each day.

Dog charity Pendle Dogs in Need has also warned that people already struggle to pay this as it is, and it fears that kennels would be overrun if the stray dog fine increased.

Coun Whipp said: “People who may be considered to be ‘problem owners’ who you would like to fine, are already in the contingent who don’t collect their dog.

“It’s cheaper for them to get another ‘Staffy’ for a fiver. The increase in the charge is unlikely to affect this group of people as they don’t bother collecting their dog anyway.

“There are other people who are hard up who may currently collect their family pet that has strayed and pay the charge with difficulty.

“The steep increase in charge could well make this unaffordable. If the pet isn’t rescued, it would be put to sleep.

“I believe such a change would be ineffective. It wouldn’t address the issue of poor owners of dogs but could well lead to family pets being put on death row.”

In the present financial year, 109 dogs have been picked up on Pendle’s streets. Of these, only 35 were returned to their owners without being taken to the kennels.

Two were cared for by a rescue organisation and of the 72 that were taken to kennels, only 42 were reclaimed by their owners while 23 had to be rehomed and four were put to sleep.