A new way of reporting and finding stray dogs is on its way for Hastings.
The council has appointed Animal Wardens Ltd to take over the running of its stray dog control services, in line with many other local authorities across the country.

Staff from Animal Wardens will take responsibility for picking up strays, taking them to holding kennels and where possible, reuniting them with owners; powers which were previously shared by the council and Sussex Police.

If dog owners aren't found within seven days, the company will work to re-home them.

As before, there is a charge for the return of dogs to their owners, which covers transportation, kennelling and any animal health bills.

From April 1 if you lose your dog or want to report a stray, please contact the Animal Wardens switchboard on 0845 241 7253.

The service is available 24-hours, seven days a week.

Animal Wardens Ltd will not be dealing with other dog control issues such as fouling, dogs off leads, and so on. Council staff will continue to enforce these laws.

For general information visit http://www.hastings.gov.uk.