A new dog warden service will take effect in Rye from April 6.
From that date police will no longer be responsible for lost and stray dogs.
Rother Council has joined forces with hastings Borough Council to appoint private company Animal Wardens Limited to provide dog control services.

There has been criticism of the stray dog service in Rye in the past.
Cllr Bernardine Fiddimore said people had experienced problems contacting the police and Rother when they found a stray dog and described the service as "shambolic"

Animals Wardens Ltd will provide a 24 hour call centre to assist people who have lost or found a dog.

The company will be responsible for seizing stray dogs and reuniting lost dogs with their owners.

Unclaimed dogs will be kennelled for seven days before attempts are made to find new homes for them.

The company will also offer free micro chipping of dogs so that owners can be contacted quickly if their dog strays again.
Animal Wardens Ltd have experience of working with other authorities across the country.

By joining forces with Hastings, Rother Council claimed to have reduced the cost of providing the service.
Dog control laws for Rye were recently passed by Rother District Council.

The controls bans dogs from all enclosed children's
play areas in the Rye area as well as Rye Cemetery and the Gun Garden.
Other bans in the Rye area exclude dogs from Brede recreation ground, Guestling playing field, Jubilee Green, at Camber, and Northiam Cemetery.

A summer ban, which runs from May 1 - September 30, applies to a section of Camber beach, which sees no change to the existing byelaws.
Bans, fro the same period are now in place on the seashore at Dogs Hill, Winchelsea, from the access steps by the public toilet westward for 558 metres and at Pett Level from the slipway, next to St Nicholas Church, westwards for 150 metres.

Breach of a dog control order may result in prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Rother was forced to look at dog control as part of the Government's Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005.
Animal Wardens Ltd can be contacted on 0845 606 6928