Responsible Pet Ownership Factsheet

Transcription

1 Bengali Chinese Translations If English is not your first language and you need a translation, we can get one for you. Polish Portuguese Responsible Pet Ownership Factsheet Gujarati Punjabi Hindi Somali Kurdish Urdu Kosovan Vietnamese If you would like this information in a different format, for example, braille, audio tape, large print or computer disk please contact us using the details provided in the booklet. Estate Management Service For general advice: % (Option 4) Date published: July Designed and printed by Bristol City Council, Bristol Design BD4154

2 This factsheet provides guidance on how to be a responsible pet owner and your responsibilities as a council tenant. It also explains action we can take if your pet is causing a nuisance or a breach of tenancy conditions. Contents Your tenancy agreement 2 What else do I need to consider? 3 Responsible pet ownership 6 Action that Bristol City Council can take 8 Who else can help? 11 Complaints, comments or compliments 12 How to contact us 12 Page Your tenancy agreement Bristol City Council recognises that well looked after pets can provide good company to people, as well as having a positive impact on their owners health and happiness. However, we also understand pets can cause a nuisance if not taken care of properly. Irresponsible pet ownership can often cause annoyance to neighbours and visitors to the area. All tenants of Bristol City Council have signed a tenancy agreement, a legal document about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Your tenancy agreement states: 2.9 You must keep the property safe, in good condition, clean and free from rubbish and not allow its condition to deteriorate You must not keep or breed any animal that is unsuitable for the property. This includes any animal covered by The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, or any other current relevant legislation You must not allow any animal owned by you, any member of your household or accompanying any visitor to your property, to cause a nuisance, to behave or be used in a dangerous or intimidating manner, to foul any communal area, footpath or play area within the locality without cleaning it up immediately. All dogs must be kept on a lead in communal areas and any dog encountered, which is not on a lead will be considered a stray and can be confiscated by the council. Customer Service Points 13 1 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 2

3 In addition the tenancy conditions also apply to anyone attempting to breed, sell animals or run a boarding house for pets from the property You must not use, or allow any part of the property to be used for the purposes of business or trade without first obtaining any necessary or required planning permission or statutory consent. The business or trade must not cause or be likely to cause damage to the property or an adjoining property, or nuisance or inconvenience to a neighbour or any other person living in, visiting or going about their lawful activity in the locality. Tenants breaking their tenancy conditions will have action taken against them, ultimately this could result in eviction. If you suspect someone has a breed classified as a dangerous dog or are a victim or witness of a dog attack you should call the Police on 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency situation. What else do I need to consider? There are also laws affecting pet ownership including: Animal Welfare Act 2006 Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 Control of Dogs Order 1992 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 Animal Welfare Act 2006 This Act makes it against the law to be cruel to an animal. It also says that pet owners have a duty of care to make sure all of the animals needs are met. The maximum penalty for breaking this law is up to 51 weeks in prison or a 20,000 fine. If you think that someone is being cruel to an animal, you should report this to the RSPCA by calling Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 This created something called Dog Control Orders. Under these orders, it is an offence for a dog owner not to immediately clear up after their dog has fouled in any open area. Bristol City Council has the power to fine or prosecute people breaking this law and may also take other action such as an injunction against perpetrators. It is also an offence to fail to put a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer (such as a dog warden or police officer) and to take dogs into areas where they are not permitted. The maximum fine for breaking Dog Control Orders is Control of Dogs Order 1992 This Order makes it a requirement that any dog in a highway or public place must wear a collar and ID tag, even if they are microchipped. A breach of these laws can be reported to the Dog Warden on To help them to take action, they need details such as a description of the dog and owner, along with the usual time and place that they commit the offence. Make a note of this before you call. 3 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 4

4 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 This Act prohibits the possession of wild animals, wild birds and their eggs. This includes birds such as the common and feral pigeon. Any tenant found to be allowing pigeons into their property or keeping them there will be considered in breach of their tenancy conditions and this law. You should not encourage or feed birds such as pigeons or seagulls. These birds are considered to be vermin and can spread disease and parasites. A build up of bird excrement on a balcony or other part of your property will also be treated as a breach of tenancy conditions. This could result in action being taken against you. If you find that pigeons are trying to roost on your balcony you must take measures to discourage them. Farm Animals Farm animals (e.g. chickens, goats and pigs) can be very difficult to look after and are rarely suitable as pets. The RSPCA states that: There are strict laws covering the keeping and transport of farm animals. For example; depending on the type of animals, your premises may need to be registered with the government department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra), the animals may need special identification, and licences may be needed to transport them. You may also need to keep up-to-date records and paperwork, such as medicine records. Bristol City Council does not encourage the keeping of farm animals as pets. We will take action against anyone breaking the law, in breach of tenancy conditions or causing anti-social behaviour. Responsible pet ownership You are responsible for preventing any animal, living or visiting your property, from causing nuisance or annoyance to other people. As a tenant you must not breach your tenancy conditions. If you are a leaseholder you are bound by your lease conditions. Being a responsible pet owner means: Making sure you can afford a pet before getting one.think about the ongoing cost of food and vet bills. Ensuring any pet or animal is well looked after. Getting your pet (especially cats and dogs) neutered and ensuring it receives regular treatment for parasites, including worms and fleas. Giving your pet enough daily exercise. Cleaning up after your pet immediately if it fouls anywhere. In particular your home, garden or a communal area. Not allowing your pet or pet related items to cause a nuisance by bad smells. Pet waste can contain toxins and parasites that can be very harmful to humans. Especially infants, older people and those who are unwell. For instance; roundworm eggs. If ingested by humans and untreated they can cause infections to the organs. Most commonly the brain (i.e. nervous system), liver, lungs and eyes. In the eyes this can cause tumours and detached retinas, which can lead to blindness. 5 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 6

5 Not allowing your pet to cause a noise nuisance (e.g. leaving a dog to bark or a bird to squawk). Ensuring your pet doesn t cause property damage (i.e. yours or anyone else s). You will be charged for any damage to your property. Ensuring any water tank (e.g. fish or reptile tank) is well maintained and does not leak. This can damage either your property or your neighbour s property. Making sure any tank or cage is well maintained so that your pet can t escape. Storing pet food properly so that it doesn t attract pests (e.g. rats and mice). Ensuring outdoor pets (e.g. rabbits and chickens) are cleaned out regularly. To avoid attracting vermin and causing a bad smell. Having your pet under your control on a lead and supervised when in a communal area. This includes dogs, rabbits and ferrets as well as any other animal that may be walked. If you are concerned that you or someone else is no longer able to look after a pet for any reason- please refer to the useful contacts at the end of this factsheet. The RSPCA or PDSA can offer advice. Did you know? Poop scoop bags can be bought cheaply at a wide variety of shops. Alternatively, you can use a regular plastic bag. You can also put dog waste in a normal bin. Our Estate Management service investigates all reports of anti-social behaviour and breaches of tenancy conditions involving council tenants. They will ensure that issues are tackled at an early stage. We will take swift and effective action where complaints about pets are received and will ensure that all communal areas are kept clean. We will treat all information given to us in confidence and in accordance with legal requirements. Issues treated as anti-social behavior Reported issues concerning noise nuisance, aggressive animals or fouling in a communal area will be treated as Anti-Social Behaviour. Action that Bristol City Council can take We will respond within three working days to let you know we ve received your report. A named officer will contact you within 10 working days from the date of your first report. You will be offered a face-to-face interview at a safe and appropriate location. We will discuss with you the best way to resolve the problem and agree an action plan. The action plan will say what we agree to do and what we may ask you to do. We will also agree with you how you d like to be contacted. In order for us to take action, we need to have evidence of the issue. For this reason it is important that you work with us to gather the evidence. For example; by keeping an incident log or by engaging with noise pollution. 7 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 8

6 What happens next? We will contact the tenant responsible for the pet nuisance, taking any informal action that is necessary. This may include warning letters, home visits or asking the pet owner to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract with specific clauses about the nuisance pet. We will work with other agencies, if necessary, to help us gather evidence and resolve the issues. For instance; Pollution Control for noise nuisance (e.g. dogs barking), the dog warden (e.g. dog fouling) or the Police (e.g.dangerous animals). If there is suspected cruelty we will also contact the RSPCA. Pollution Control can issue Noise Abatement Notices in cases where they have witnessed or evidenced a statutory noise nuisance such as a dog barking. The Dog Warden can issue advice and fixed penalty notices for breaching a dog control order. If the issue is in a block of flats with CCTV we will review any footage that is relevant to the issue. If formal action is needed the case will be referred to our specialist anti-social behaviour team. They work with partner agencies to take legal action. More detailed information about this can be found in our factsheets Anti-Social Behaviour and Victim and Witness Support. Issues treated as a breach of tenancy conditions If the issue reported concerns such things as smells caused by pets or untidy gardens (e.g. pet related litter, inappropriate storage of pet food) this will be treated as a Breach of Tenancy Conditions. What happens next? The Estate Management Service will investigate breaches of tenancy conditions, making initial investigations within 10 days. We will try to resolve issues informally by working with the tenant responsible for the breach. This may include: informing the person of the breach making an action plan with the tenant (i.e. action they need to take to resolve the issue). referring them for extra support if needed. The service will work with other agencies and departments where necessary. This could include Environmental Health or the Street Scene Enforcement Team, who can issue fines. If the issue cannot be resolved informally within 40 days then we will begin taking formal action. This could include fines, injunctions or possession action. We will also seek advice from our legal department if formal action is necessary to resolve the issues. In most cases of anti-social behaviour and breaches of tenancy we will resolve the problem without taking legal action. However, if this is not possible then we may apply to court for an injunction to stop nuisance behaviour. In extreme cases, we may start possession action, which could result in the tenant who is responsible for the nuisance being evicted. 9 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 10

7 Getting involved Please contact the Tenant Participation Team if you d like to get involved and help shape future policies and the way that services are delivered. Telephone: tpu@bristol.gov.uk Who else can help? Support services: Anti-social behaviour reporting (council tenants) (option 4) Dog Warden (option 1) Pollution Control (option 2), office hours or , out of hours RSPCA (national helpline) RSPCA (Bristol Clinic) PDSA advice line Anti-social behaviour reporting (non council tenants) (option 3) Pest control (option 1) Police 999 emergency or 101 non emergency PDSA Pet Aid Hospital Bristol Dogs and Cats Home Estate management (option 4) Complaints, comments or compliments Bristol City Council is committed to providing a high quality service to all its customers and welcomes your feedback. You can do this by submitting a complaint, comment or compliment, about the services you have received. If you wish to do this you can complete our online form at You can also obtain a Fair Comment leaflet from any Customer Service Point or by contacting our Customer Services Centre. How to contact us If you need to contact the Estate Management Service details are set out below. General enquiries: (option 4) Textphone: Fax: By Post: Estates, PO Box 595, Bristol BS99 2AW By estates@bristol.gov.uk By Internet: 11 Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 12

8 Customer Service Points If you would like to see someone in person you can visit any Customer Service Point. Please note opening hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 5pm, Wednesday 10.30am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm. Extended opening times are available at Phoenix Court, please telephone to check. Fishponds Robinson House Hockeys Lane Fishponds Bristol BS16 3HL. Southmead Southmead House Greystoke Avenue Southmead Bristol BS10 6BQ. & You can also use this form to report an incidence of animal nuisance. You can hand this form in at any Customer Service point. Remember, not entering your contact details means we can t get in touch with you or keep you updated. Your name:... Your address:... Your phone number:... Who was involved?... Where did it happen?... Central Bristol Phoenix Court, Bond Street South Bristol BS1 3PH. Hartcliffe Symes House Peterson Square Hartcliffe Bristol BS13 0BD. Lawrence Weston Ridingleaze House Lawrence Weston Bristol BS11 0QE Out of hours emergencies Tel Textphone Fax When did it happen? (date & time)... What happened?... If you are unsure which team you need or you have a customers service related enquiry you can customer.servicepoints@bristol.gov.uk. How did it effect you? Responsible Pet Ownership Responsible Pet Ownership 14