Additional Information
Dangerous dogs:
It is the responsibility of Kent Police to deal with dog attacks and bites on people. Further information on this and a list of banned breeds can be found on the Kent Police website
Dartford Borough Council will investigate complaints alleging dogs intimidating members of the public, acting aggressively and dog on dog attacks. Report a problem online.
Dogs die in hot cars:
During the warm weather the inside of a car can get very hot, very quickly. If you leave your dog in your car, the heat can have a detrimental effect on the animal a lot sooner than you think.
When the temperature reaches 22C/77F outside, the temperature inside a car can reach 47C/227F within an hour. Leaving your window open or covering your windscreen has very little effect on cooling the vehicle down.
It is a legal requirement under the Animal Welfare Act to care for your animal and if you put your pet at risk and leave your dog in a hot car, you could face prosecution.
Dogs in hot cars can begin to pant very quickly. This can be the start of heatstroke, once a dog has heatstroke it can die very quickly.
If you see a dog locked in a car during hot weather, please contact the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 or call Dartford Borough Council's Animal Control Officer on 01322 343434 or Kent Police on 01622 690690.
Further seasonal weather advice is available from The Dogs Trust.
Dog barking:
It is normal and natural for dogs to bark and it is not unreasonable for neighbours to occasionally hear dog barking at various times during the day.
However, when barking or whining is constant, occurs over a long period or regularly at night, it may be disturbing, annoying and upsetting for neighbours.
Often dog owners are not aware of the noise problems being caused by their dog and so it is recommended that in the first instance you consider talking to your neighbour about the problems you are experiencing.
- What action can you take to help resolve the problem
- Report a dog related problem online
- How to stop your dog barking (Blue Cross)
Give a dog a home:
Dartford Borough Council do not offer a dog re-homing service.
One of the charities below may be able to help:
The Dogs Trust publish information on various dog ownership topics