Animal Health and Welfare

The Enforcement Service deals with many aspects of animal health and welfare including:

• Providing general advice on animal matters
• Licences for boarding animals
• Licences for exotic, dangerous or wild animals
• Animal Movement (external link)
• Inspecting licensed premises
• Animal cruelty
• Lost and Stray Dogs
• Infectious diseases
• Animal Welfare Act 2006
• Enforcement of the new Act
• Neutering
• Pets and hot weather
• Contact

Animal Welfare Act 2006

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force on April 6 2007.

The aim of the Act is to improve the welfare of animals, impose greater responsibility on their owners (whether permanent or temporary), and provide greater investigation and entry powers for police and local authority staff to deal with offences.

Under section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is the duty of any person responsible for an animal to ensure that its welfare needs are met. These include:

• The need for a suitable environment.
• The need for a suitable diet.
• The need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns.
• Any need to be housed with or apart from other animals, and
• The need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Other offences under the new Act include:

• The ‘mutilation of animals’, such as the docking of tails (other than for good medical reasons or an animal undergoing veterinary treatments)
• The selling or giving of a pet as a prize to anyone under 16 years of age

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Enforcement of the new Act

Depending on the type of offence and animals involved, enforcement is shared between the RSPCA, Police, Local Authorities and DEFRA.

If you suspect that an animal of any kind is being subjected to any form of cruelty then contact the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) National Cruelty and Advice line on 0300 1234 999

If you suspect that  a dog is dangerously out of control or the owner is using the animal to incite anti-social behaviour then contact the Metropolitan Police on 0300 123 1212.

Haringey Council is responsible for providing a stray dog collection service, if you would like to report a missing/stray dog please contact us on 020 8489 1000.

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Neutering

It is also recommended that you have your pet spayed or neutered. For a dog this involves removal of both testicles and for the bitch, it involves removing the womb and the ovaries. Having your dog or cat neutered is a routine operation and it will remove the risk and the potential financial cost of having unwanted litters.

Neutering males in early life also reduces aggressive behaviour, reduces the likelihood of certain types of cancer and will result in them being less likely to wander. Haringey Council does not have the facilities to offer a neutering service. Contact details for a selection of local clinics that will neuter you pet are listed below. Prices vary.

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For further information on all of the above establishments, visit their website by clicking into their relevant links in the external links section below).

Pets and hot weather

During the summer months it is important that additional care is taken to ensure that your pet does not suffer during spells of hot weather. Many animals don’t sweat through their skin in the same way as humans. They cool down by sweating through sweat glands in their feet and through panting; therefore it’s important that you help your pets to stay cool.

• Avoid leaving animals in cars, conservatories, outbuildings or caravans as this can lead to unnecessary stress, suffering and even result in their death.
• Avoid leaving your pet in direct sunlight, make sure they can access somewhere cool that is in the shade. It is especially important that they are not housed in direct sunlight.
• Ensure your pet has a supply of clean, fresh drinking water to prevent dehydration.
• Try to exercise your pet at cooler times of the day. It is important that your pet still gets exercised regularly even in hot weather, try to do it early in the morning or later in the evening.
• Pets can suffer from sunburn just like humans. Speak to a vet for advice on sunscreen for your pet.
• Do not leave pets alone at home when you go on holiday.

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Contact

Please do not post your forms to us - email your the completed form to licensing@haringey.gov.uk. We will contact you by phone to take your payment via debit or credit card.

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