Daventry man's dog to be rehomed after control notice breached

Magistrates also ordered that Luke Harper, of Jervis Close, Daventry, pay a fine and costs totalling nearly £4,000 for breaching a Community Protection Notice which required him to keep his black Patterdale Terrier Bryan under control.

Daventry District Council received a number of reports of Bryan straying on the Southbrook Estate between March and September 2016.

Concerned about the terrier’s safety and the possibility he might cause a road traffic accident, the council issued a warning to Mr Harper in September 2016 requesting him to keep the dog under proper control and prevent him from straying.

But the warning was ignored and in December 2016 a formal Community Protection Notice was served on Mr Harper, requiring him to control his dog.

When DDC received further reports of Bryan straying, and with the owner continuing to offer no response, it was forced to step in again and applied to the courts for a warrant to seize the dog.

In May 2017, having obtained a warrant, officers gained entry into Mr Harper’s property at Jervis Close by force and formally seized Bryan, taking him to kennels pending the outcome of the case against his owner.

At Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (October 17), Mr Harper was convicted in his absence of breaching the Community Protection Notice and fined £100.

He was also required to pay Council costs of £3,795 which included kennelling costs, vets fees, legal fees and officer time. Magistrates also issued a forfeiture order for Bryan, who will now be rehomed.

Councillor Richard Auger, Health and Housing Portfolio Holder on Daventry District Council, said: “As a dog-loving country, we consider enforcement such as this a last resort. We much prefer to work with residents and resolve problems in partnership. This case has illustrated that sometimes we have no other options available but to take action in order to protect dogs and local residents.

“We tried to engage with the owner, but to no avail. The last thing we want to do as a Council is to remove dogs from their owners, but, if dog owners refuse to work with us, we will always do what is right to protect the community.

“The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 has given councils tough new powers to act where we believe that the quality of life of residents is being detrimentally affected by dog owners who fail to properly control their dogs. I hope that this case will act as a warning to all dog owners that the council are ready and willing to use those powers where necessary.”