Round of a-paws for Portsmouth stray dog kennels

Helen Gunn, senior animal warden, and her team were assessed by the charity’s nationwide PawPrint Awards. It’s the only scheme to have been recognising good practice from local authorities in regard to animal welfare since 2008.

The RSPCA awarded the Portsmouth kennels gold in their practice of handling stray dogs, an important and often undervalued service. It recognises the team’s excellency in their collection and re-homing of stray dogs, as well as the systems and policies in place that ensure a high level of dog welfare, staff training, and promotion of responsible dog ownership.

Cabinet Member for Safety in the Community, Cllr Jason Fazakerley visited the kennels alongside council staff to congratulate the team with chocolates – not forgetting treats for the dogs. In attendance was also Maisie the dog, taken in as a stray at the kennels just 11 weeks old. Soon adopted by kennel assistant Jeannette Clabby, Maise is now thriving and is an example of the amazing work done here.

Cllr Fazakerley said:

“Seven years of gold standard accolades for our work with stray dogs is a fantastic achievement. So much hard work goes on behind the scenes to improve animal welfare locally, and I’m delighted our staff have been recognised by the RSPCA for it. I congratulate all involved.”

Helen Gunn, senior animal warden, added:

“Owners can really help our kennel team by keeping their pets safe, microchipped and wearing ID tags. It’s legally required for dogs to be both microchipped and to wear an ID tag with their owner’s name and address, but we’d recommend putting a telephone number on there too. These small things mean we can reunite owners with their pets as quickly as possible.”

If you need to report a stray dog, please use the kennel’s contact info below:

Tel: 023 9268 8181

Email: dog.kennels@portsmouthcc.gov.uk