Rochford District Council is the first local authority in England and Wales to achieve a silver level award from the RSPCA for animal welfare.The Council has also been awarded a silver award for its handling of stray dogs.

The Community Animal Welfare Footprints awards aim to reward and promote good practice in animal welfare by local authorities and housing providers in England and Wales.

They recognise organisations that have gone above and beyond their basic service requirements to ensure higher animal welfare standards.

Councillor Mrs Mavis Webster, Member Champion for Animal Welfare said “I am so pleased that Rochford District Council has received these awards from the RSPCA. It is a testament to all the hard work that officers have carried out to ensure that standards of animal welfare are maintained to a high level”.

The awards are split into four categories and the Council have won awards in two of the categories; the Animal Welfare Principles Footprint and the Stray Dogs footprint.

The Animal Welfare Principles Footprint includes the provision of a written policy on animal welfare – our Animal Welfare Charter – and examples of good practice sharing. Additional requirements include website links and information, and adoption of higher welfare policies with regard to food procurement.

The Stray Dogs Footprint covers the policies and procedures that should ensure stray dog welfare is protected from collection to conclusion, including kennelling, both during and out of office hours, as well as swift treatment of injured and sick dogs. It also focuses on proactive work to educate the public and preventative measures to reduce long-term straying.