Dog Warden Service

Stray dogs

If you happen to contain a stray dog, please ring 01707 357000  to make further arrangements, and we will notify the dog warden. Out of office hours, please ring 0845 241 7253.

Lost dogs

Please report the missing dog to the contact centre by phone on 01707 357000 or email contact-whc@welhat.gov.uk. The dog warden will then be notified. Out of office hours, please ring 0845 241 7253.

Dangerous dogs

A dog is classed as dangerous and out of control if:

• It injures a person, or
• it behaves in a way that makes a person worried that it might injure them, or
• if your dog is dangerously out of control in its own home or garden, which causes the police or anyone else to be worried that the dog is a risk.

The police should be contacted concerning dangerous or banned dogs, to contact them ring 0845 3300222. For more information, see the Defra website. You may also advise the the dog warden who can be contacted via the contact centre.

Contained animals and animal welfare

If you are concerned about the welfare of an animal contained within a property please call the RSPCA on 08705 555999. If you suspect that an animal is being subjected to any form of cruelty then the only organisation that can legally deal with this is the RSPCA. You can also get a lot of useful information from the RSPCA website.                  

Fouling and nuisance from barking                  

The dog warden service also deals with fouling by dogs and nuisance from barking. If you would like to report a concern over a barking dog, the dog warden will require an address of where the alleged noise nuisance is coming from.

It is every dog owner's responsibility to clean up after their dog. Permitting dog fouling is unfair on other people! If left in public areas it can cover shoes and at worst, eye contact with canine excrement can sometimes lead to blindness due to an infection called 'Toxocara canis'.    

Public land including roads, footpaths, school playing fields, sports fields and parks, can be designated by the council under the Dog (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 (s3). This makes it an offence for any person in charge of a dog(s) to allow it to foul land with an order and not remove it. On the spot fines of £50 are in force for anyone allowing their dog to foul in a public place, and not clearing up dog mess can result in a prosecution and fine of up to £1000. It is no defence to claim ignorance of the dog's actions.

In the future, this act will be repealed to make way for the CNEA 2005 (s59) which will introduce Dog Control Orders (DCO). This will enable authorised officers to make stricter regulations in concern to dog fouling, excluding dogs from certain areas, control of dogs, and the permitted number of dogs. Officers would be able to issue fines for breaches of DCO.

To assist dog owners we have installed over 140 dog waste bins across the borough. Please report problems with dog waste bins by filling in our online dog litter bin report form or 01707 357000. Bags for the collection of dog waste are sold at:           

• Bill Salmon Centre, Hatfield Town Centre;
• Birchwood Avenue Post Office;
• Campus West Leisure reception, WGC;   
• Woolmer Green Parish Council;                     
• Brookmans Park Post Office;
• Pegasus Supplies, Dellsome Lane, Welham Green;                             
• Hatfield Town Council, Kennelwood, Town Centre, Hatfield;
• Jim McDonald Centre, Highview, Hatfield;
• Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council, Maynards Place, Cuffley;
• North Mymms Parish Council No. 1 Bungalow, Bushwood Close, Welham Green.

The bags cost £1.60 for 50 bags.

Further information

If you require more information,  please contact us.