Mansfield District Council’s Dog Control Service has been awarded a Gold Community Animal Welfare Footprint Award (CAWF) by the RSPCA for the second year running.

The award was given in the stray dog category, which ensures that all stray dogs are treated humanely and safely while under the care of the council.

This includes:

•having an effective out of hours service
•the provision to treat any sick animal
•assessment and rehoming policies
•a commitment to scanning and checking the ID of all recovered dogs
•a micro-chipping service for a minimal fee for all dogs being returned
•promotion of responsible dog ownership
•appropriate training for officers in dog handling, behaviour and welfare

The gold award follows on from the council’s successful micro-chipping campaign over the past six months, which has resulted in 571 dogs being micro-chipped in line with the government legislation in April this year, which requires all dog keepers to have their dogs micro-chipped and registered on one of the authorised databases.

The council has also been taking the lead in its efforts to reunite lost dogs with their owners through a highly successful Facebook campaign.

The MDC Facebook gallery, which publishes photographs of missing and abandoned dogs, has got the thumbs up from Mansfield dog lovers with 778,629 views over the past year.

Portfolio Holder for Public Protection at Mansfield District Council, Cllr Mick Barton said: “I want to congratulate everyone involved in this award, which proves that when it comes to dog control and the issue of stray dogs, we offer a golden service. I would also like to thank members of the public for engaging in our Facebook campaign to re-unite dogs and their owners. They have shown unbelievable support.”

Photographs of stray dogs are published on Facebook.com/mymansfielduk

If you find a stray dog, try to secure it and contact our Dog Control Service on 01623 463189 or email [email protected] The out of hours number is 01623 463050.

If you have any concerns with regard to dangerous dogs, contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101.

Pictured with stray dog Axel is new owner Tasha.