DOG wardens are advising dog owners during the approaching peak holiday season to ensure proper arrangements are made for their pets.

St Helens Council Wardens point out that if owners plan to put their dogs in kennels they should make bookings well in advance and bear in mind the following:

If you have not used the kennels before, visit them to see if you are happy to leave your dog there.

Check with the council to see if the kennel is registered. (Boarding kennels are required by law to be registered to ensure they meet the required standards).

Reputable kennels will ask for proof that your dog has had jabs against a variety of diseases - make sure you have your vet's certificates and that they are up to date and valid.

The council receives complaints at this time of the year about dogs being left to roam the streets, or locked up in premises while owners are away on holiday. If you have to leave your dog at home, make sure whoever looks after it will actually act responsibly and not neglect the dog while you are away.

If your dog is staying with a friend away from home make sure it wears a collar and identity tag so that if it accidentally strays or gets lost, it can easily be returned to you.

And as a general hot-weather warning, do not leave your dog in an unattended car for a long period. Year after year cases are reported of dogs in distress because they have been left in this manner.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.