Bath and North East Somerset's dog warden has taken delivery of a new clean, green electric van to patrol the district.

As part of its commitment to becoming a carbon neutral authority, Bath & North East Somerset Council has invested in the new electric dog warden van to replace its aging diesel vehicle.

The van has been part-funded by an £8k grant provided by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV)

Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: "We want to improve people's lives and tackling air pollution to address the climate emergency is a priority for us. Every year our dog warden covers thousands of miles and up until now we've used a diesel vehicle. We've now invested in this cleaner, greener electric van, which produces zero emissions whilst driving. It's also cheaper to run than its predecessor, so will save us money in operating costs."

The council employs one full-time dog warden. Their role is to:

collect and reunite stray dogs

educate owners on responsible dog ownership

promote awareness and guidance on dog legislation

enforce legislation in relation to nuisance dogs, straying and microchipping

work with community groups to promote responsible dog ownership.

protect members of the public from issues arising from irresponsible dog ownership such as straying dogs, fouling, aggression and nuisance.

The number of stray dogs collected by the council's dog warden has almost halved over the past four years mainly due to lost and found dogs being reported via social media. It is, however, a legal requirement to report all lost or found dogs to the dog warden. During 2018/19, 81 strays were taken to the kennels at Bath Cats and Dogs home with three quarters successfully reunited with their owners. The remainder were gifted to the home for rehoming.

Dog fouling is still a major issue across the district and since the clocks went back in October, there's been a big rise in the number of complaints the council has received about fouling. This is not only a health hazard, it's also anti-social not to clean up after your pet and the council therefore encourages residents to report offenders. Complainants need to complete a witness statement and provide a description of the owner and dog so the council can investigate and take action.

Owners are reminded all dogs should be microchipped and wear a collar and tag – failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £5000.

To report a lost dog, a contained stray dog, fouling or a dog attack on an animal call Council Connect on 01225 394041. You can also report dog fouling via https://www.fixmystreet.com/

To report persistent barking call the Environmental Protection Team on 01225477551

To report dogs acting in a dangerous or aggressive manner (giving people reasonable fear of attack), dogs worrying livestock on agricultural land, road traffic collisions involving dogs, control of guard dogs, dogs being used for illegal purposes such as poaching of fighting or dogs left in cars on hot days call the police on 111 or in an emergency 999.