Decisions

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires the Council to seize and detain stray dogs and to appoint an officer for this purpose. Furthermore, additional legislation places an obligation on the Council to secure the welfare of stray dogs.

Since 2017 the Council's stray dog service has been undertaken by Worcestershire Regulatory Services, as part of a joint procurement alongside Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucester City Council. A tender exercise for a new contract was undertaken throughout the summer of 2022 and Worcestershire Regulatory Services have been awarded the new contract. Again, the tender was undertaken on a joint procurement basis with Cheltenham and Gloucester no tender submissions were received from any organisation other than Worcestershire Regulatory Services.

The estimated contract start date is 1 September 2022 and the contract will run for 3 years, with an option to extend for a 4th year. Services expected by Worcestershire Regulatory Services as part of the contract include, stray dog collection, kennelling, rehoming and welfare provision. The service also includes out-of-hours provision and will accept calls up until 10pm on weekdays and from 9am to 10pm on bank holidays. Any calls received beyond 10pm will be dealt with by the Council's stand-by officers.

A clear service pricing schedule has been provided by Worcestershire Regulatory Services including collection, kennelling and veterinary fees, and this information is also available on its website. On average approximately 30 stray dogs are collected annually in Tewkesbury by Worcestershire Regulatory Service and the annual budget for stray dog services is approximately £10,000.

The decision to award the contract is essential in order to ensure that the Council is able to maintain its statutory obligations regarding stray dogs.

To award the contract for stray dog services 2022-2025 to Bromsgrove District Council (Worcestershire Regulatory Services).