A free two-day event to promote responsible pet ownership has been a success, with 95 dog owners taking advantage of free microchipping.
The Care for your Canine event, which took place outside The Place in Pitsea, was run by Basildon Council and the RSPCA to promote responsible pet ownership after Basildon was named as having one of the highest figures for animal welfare issues in the country.
Members of the council’s animal control team and RSPCA were on hand to offer advice in looking after dogs. A dog behaviourist also gave tips to dog owners on making small changes to improve the behaviour of unruly pooches.
Councillor Richard Moore, Cabinet Member for Planning (and with responsibility for animal control) said: “I am pleased that so many dog owners took responsibility for their pet and took advantage of the free microchipping and advice on offer.
“Owning a dog can be expensive and time consuming, and I hope those who attended found it beneficial.”
The RSPCA gave out discounted neutering vouchers for Staffordshire Bull Terriers and crosses which will help stop unwanted puppies and even help improve the behaviour of the dogs.
Owners also picked up a free ‘welfare bag’ which included an ID tag, flea comb, poop bags and holder and information leaflets.
Sarah Moran, animal control officer at Basildon Council, said: “We microchipped more than 100 dogs at the event which will help us get in contact with the owner if their dog is lost or stolen.
“Of course, they can only be returned if the contact details registered on the microchip are up-to-date and all too often we are seeing dogs with the wrong contact details registered. This could mean that if we are unable to notify them sooner that their dog is in the kennels, the owner could be liable for hundreds of pounds of kennel fees.”
The next Care for your Canine event will take place in Laindon on 20 and 21 June.
Dog owners can find out more about caring for their canine by visiting www.basildon.gov.uk/caninecare.
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