Council awards Stowmarket dog rehoming centre £180,000 contract for stray dog services
Ipswich Borough Council has awarded a five-year contract worth £180,000 to West End Rehoming Limited to handle stray dogs in the town. The Stowmarket-based company will provide collection and kennelling services from October 2024.
The big picture: The contract fulfils the council's legal duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to handle stray dogs within the borough.
Why it matters: The service is essential for public safety and animal welfare. West End Rehoming also operates a rescue unit that tries to find new homes for unclaimed strays. Without such services, many stray dogs would face being put down.
The details:
- Contract runs from 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2029
- West End Rehoming was the only bidder for the specialist service
- Company is based in Buxhall, Suffolk
- They already provide similar services to other Suffolk councils
- All dogs taken in receive flea treatment, worming and microchipping
What they're saying: A council officer noted that "this is a specialist service and only provided by a limited number of suppliers, very few of which are within reasonable proximity of Ipswich."
The bottom line: The £180,000 cost will be met from the council's existing annual core service budget, with no additional funding required.
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