Thousands object to proposed closure of Wirral dog kennel (From Wirral Globe)

Thousands object to proposed closure of Wirral dog kennel

2:20pm Thursday 29th November 2012 in News By Craig Manning

The kennel in Corporation Road, Birkenhead

MORE than 7,000 people have signed a petition objecting to plans to close Wirral Council's dog kennels in Birkenhead.

The proposals are part of a major spending reduction and would inevitably result in an increase in strays if approved, campaigners say.

The Corporation Road kennels are earmarked to become part of a "Merseyside consortium warden service."

Based in Halewood, and comprising Liverpool, Knowsly, Halton and Sefton, the group would pay a private contractor to run the out-of-hours and kennelling service.

The Friends of Birkenhead Council Kennels will submit a protest petition of more than 3,000 names to the town hall tomorrow.

The campaign group’s co-founder Antje Tucker said: "It's ridiculous to expect people to have to travel all the way over to Halewood and back, which is a 30-mile round trip, to pick up their dog.

"If they can’t afford to do that, what will happen? We are concerned dogs will just be left to roam the streets.

"The petition shows a lot of support for our campaign, with thousands of people against the plan.

"We want to remind the council how important the dog kennel service is. We can’t thank those who have signed the petition so far enough."

The option to close the kennels is included in the council’s "What Really Matters” consultation exercise which asks the public for its views on a raft of savings schemes designed to cut spending by £40m next year.

Wirral Council chief executive Graham Burgess said: "Wirral has to make unprecedented savings over the next three years, due to reductions in government grant and unfunded growth.

"The scale of the savings required means that it is simply not possible to carry on providing all the services we have in the past.

"One of the budget options we are currently consulting on relates to the possibility of Wirral joining a Merseyside Consortium…to jointly pay a private contractor to deliver both our out of hours and kenneling service.

"There are a number of logistical and practical issues which we would need to address should the public identify this as a saving option they think we should consider.

"No decision has yet been taken on any of the budget options identified. I urge everyone to answer the consultation, which offers a genuine opportunity to shape future service provision."

Comments(28)

carlasway says...
4:11pm Thu 29 Nov 12

i pray that the council will have a change of heart & keep the kennels open, i signed the petition. WBC please please keep it open.

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Positive thinker says...
7:28pm Thu 29 Nov 12

Close it,or sell it to them and let them
run it themselves WBC are not a charity for our four legged friends

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Jimrob says...
11:51pm Thu 29 Nov 12

I'm sorry but if it comes to the choice between closing care services for the elderly and vulnerable, or the dog kennels?

My thoughts are with closing down the kennels.

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reliant22 says...
9:45am Fri 30 Nov 12

The `Union fund`, that which the Council has set aside for payment to Union Reps. These `Reps are already funded by their own members, themselves Council Tax payers, so paying twice and for what? to keep them sweet no doubt!
Put that fund money towards the Kennels and keep them open.
This time of the year is a `stray dog` issue, simply because , those who can`t afford to feed their family let alone their dog will cruelly let the dogs loose.
That`s the worry of not having a local kennel service.
Please help keep the kennels open.

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WirralAl says...
10:34am Fri 30 Nov 12

Let the Friends of the Kennels run it as a charity.
Free Rent & Council tax surely is a better option.

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littlestar84 says...
1:53pm Fri 30 Nov 12

Given that the RSPCA Wirral branch (Wallasey) is struggling and has only 6 months of revenue to survive (hopefully more now kind Simon Weston has raised thousands with his sponsored kennel stay) who thinks that small friends group FOTBK could raise the £100,000 plus a yr it takes to run a rescue?

I think some readers are not sure what the kennels do. They are very basic, stark, council pound kennels. They are the 'dog catcher' They make sure stray dogs are rounded up (reclaimed or rehomed) and they also house seized dangerous dogs during court proceedings. They also educate in schools. If your dog is attacked by a dog, the police do not care, but the dog warden does. The council pound also offers microchipping at a very cheap cost, and neutering vouchers. The wardens also intervene when people have problem dogs that are causing concern for other residents.

Without the council pound, people will be moaning in a matter of weeks. There will be stray dogs roaming, an increase of dog attacks, nowhere to enquire about lost dogs, no free chipping and neutering, nowhere to house overflow rescue cases, dangerous dogs, etc etc.

I actually cannot believe that a decent society would advocate having no formal stray dog service. But as I say, give it 2-3 weeks, and all those in favour of abolishing it will be begging for its return.

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littlestar84 says...
1:54pm Fri 30 Nov 12

Positive thinker wrote:
Close it,or sell it to them and let them
run it themselves WBC are not a charity for our four legged friends

If you have ever visited the cold, dark, Victorian-style pound kennels, you will see it is not a charity. It's a necessity for keeping loose dogs off the streets.

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Positive thinker says...
6:14pm Fri 30 Nov 12

People need to take responsibility for there dog,I do along with most of the dog owners out there.Why should the council be expected to stump up,are they the easy option every time surely theres enough members of the FOTBK
to look after the dogs and stump up
the basics

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katryn says...
8:13pm Fri 30 Nov 12

as if the council are going to help out more financially when they got their christmas party coming up.

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Positive thinker says...
5:38pm Sat 1 Dec 12

There was me thinking it's a wonder we haven't had any idiots on slagging the council of,then along came Katryn

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bickyboy says...
9:35pm Sat 1 Dec 12

I think its time for your Christmas break, PT. Can I suggest a spell in Panto, playing the back end of a particularly incontinent horse?

If the kennels close, as Littlestar says, the clamour to reopen them will become deafening within weeks. Graham Burgess must know that there are potentially serious public health issues connected with the closing of the kennels, and as such I hope that behind the scenes he has charged someone with finding a solution which doesn't involve full closure.

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katryn says...
10:08am Sun 2 Dec 12

aw thanks for your kind comment Positive thinker :P

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ordinary personn says...
3:33pm Sun 2 Dec 12

Reduce the new super directors' pay to £100K and put the £90K saved towards running the kennel and make up any shortfall by reducing councillors' expenses - sorted :)

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littlestar84 says...
3:01pm Mon 3 Dec 12

Positive thinker wrote:
People need to take responsibility for there dog,I do along with most of the dog owners out there.Why should the council be expected to stump up,are they the easy option every time surely theres enough members of the FOTBK
to look after the dogs and stump up
the basics

Great, so what about the idiots that allow their dog to deliberately roam/ throw them out, they will be prowling the streets.The RSPCA cannot take in strays, not can other charities, so what will happen to them? They will breed in feral packs as in other countries.

I look after my dogs, but what about one of them going genuinely missing? It can happen to the best owners, especially if they are spooked when out, or a builder or workman leaves the door ajar or gate unlocked. Of course there needs to be a service to cater for this.

I happen to find the dog warden team invaluable, they can offer advice on dangerous dogs and moronic anti-social owners in a way the police do not bother to.

FOTBK are volunteers, most who work like you and I, when are they going to get the time to man a dog warden service? I propose the NHS charges all drunks who use A and E, and use this money to fund the pound...

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Positive thinker says...
5:33pm Mon 3 Dec 12

Good idea

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Ilovewirral says...
1:33pm Tue 4 Dec 12

7000 people signed so far. If they all donated £15 that would cover the proposed saving.
Or the kennels should go into business taking in dogs and cats for holidays and become self funding.

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dizzyDee46 says...
6:06pm Wed 5 Dec 12

I wonder if Positive Thinker has children or neices and nephews?? You would soon be begging for the Dog Warden and the kennels to re-open if one of your kids is attacked by a stray dog...or if your kids constantly walk in dog mess and tread it into your carpets. Mot to mention if your dog is attacked by a pack of stray dogs!!! Grow up!!!

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Positive thinker says...
6:17pm Wed 5 Dec 12

You must be living in cloud cucko
land coming out with a load of garbage
like that

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Positive thinker says...
6:19pm Wed 5 Dec 12

It won't be long before they get a food
bank for dogs set up so the Mayor and his band of cranks can get they mugshots in the globe

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dizzyDee46 says...
6:28pm Wed 5 Dec 12

Well lets just see hey...You obviously have no concern for the public and their safety!
You are the one in cloud cuckoo land!
Maybe they should set up brain banks for people like you cos you obviously need it!

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Positive thinker says...
7:15pm Wed 5 Dec 12