Dogs seized from members of the public - Freedom of information requests

Title or Description: Dogs seized from members of the public
FOI Number: 2024139
Date Received: 25/01/2024
Type of Request: FOI
Request or Question: What capacity does the council have to home dogs seized from members of the public?
What is the average cost of caring for a dog that has been seized?

How many dogs were seized in each of the past three years and how many of those were XL Bully Dogs?

Do council staff require specific training to handle XL Bully Dogs and other large breeds?

If so, how many staff with the necessary training are available?

Does the council have plans to train additional staff to handle XL Bully Dogs and, if so, how many?
Response: The Council does not seize dogs from members of the public. We deal with stray dogs that have been captured and deal with instances of out of control/complaints about dogs through education and possible Dog Control Notices. We have a contract with kennels to provide up to 3 kennels for department to deal with dogs picked up. We have a flat rate contract with a kennels to deal with dogs that have been picked up. Again, we don’t seize dogs, we collect lost dogs or abandoned dogs. Detailed below.
Year Number of dogs picked up
2021 5
2022 5
2023 4 Not at this time, but the Council are reviewing this training provision.
If training is provided, we would look to train 2 staff members. No