Anger at plan to axe kennels

Dec 7 2012 By Lorna Hughes

Birkenhead dog kennels may close

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

The closure is being considered by Wirral Council to save £100,000 – but campaigners have warned it would lead to more stray dogs on the streets of the borough.

The closure is one of a range of options being considered by the council as it tries to slash £39m from its spending.

It would see the council-run facility on Corporation Road, Birkenhead, close and Wirral joining forces with other areas to provide a cross-Merseyside service. Owners would have to travel to Halewood to collect their pets.

Antje Tucker, of the Friends of Birkenhead Kennels, which is leading opposition to the plans, said: "People are extremely concerned that they want to farm it out to Halewood – it’s miles from Birkenhead. We are enraged about this. It would hand a death sentence to dogs."

An options paper outlining the proposal said: "The option here would be to stop delivering a specific Wirral Council service and instead join negotiations with city region partners to deliver a cross Merseyside scheme to make savings. The kennels in Wirral would close and owners would need to travel to Halewood to collect their pets, which could be a disincentive and harm the current 80% re-homing rate."

See the consultation online at www.wirral.gov.uk/whatreallymatters