Take part to our Great Debate: should we have a national dog warden service, away from local authority funding and control?
It’s no mystery that dog warden services across the UK grapple with disparate rules and standards adopted by various authorities. Some dog wardens are better funded than others, resulting in different standards of welfare, different rules and procedures, different opening times – all of which can impact any lost dog’s chances to find their way home again, for better or worse. In short, it’s a postcode lottery.
Some suggest that the best solution would be a national dog warden service with central funding, with the same rules and minimum standards of service and welfare to meet. This, they argue, would eliminate the disparities and make communication easier – particularly in cases where a missing dog is found far from home.
Others are more skeptical, as they feel local authorities have a better grasp on the type of service needed in their community than a centralised service would, allowing them to tailor their services – from operating procedures to opening times – for maximum efficiency.