FI17171
Request
I am writing to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would like to request the following information regarding reports of animal abuse within the local authority:
1. Please provide the number of reported cases of animal abuse or neglect recorded by your authority for each year from 2021 to 2025 that involved households keeping multiple animals (or the closest equivalent category used in your records).
2. Please provide the annual total for each year separately (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025).
3. Please provide the greatest number of animals recorded in a single case that resulted in enforcement action during this period.
4. Please provide any recorded breakdown of these cases by animal species.
5. Please provide any recorded information identifying the reasons or factors recorded in case files for situations in which the care of multiple animals became unmanageable (for example, financial hardship, ill health, mental health, breeding, hoarding, or other recorded categories).
Response
Dover District Council does not have any enforcement powers related to animal abuse, welfare or neglect. This would be a matter for the RSPCA Advice and Welfare Information for Animals - RSPCA - rspca.org.uk