Dangerous dogs
Dangerous dog incidents where a human has been bitten are the responsibility of Essex Police so please report them by calling 101.
Dog on dog attacks where no human is injured can possibly be dealt with by us.
You can report a dangerous dog by filling in our online form.
XL Bully Ban
For full details, please visit our XL Bully ban page.
Barking dogs
Before we can take action against a barking dog nuisance, we have to consider the nuisance statutory. To do this one of our officers has to witness the effect that this nuisance is having on you.
This can be difficult to establish because of the sporadic nature of dog barking, and so we ask that you complete a noise diary of the dog barking. This will help us to evaluate the extent of the disturbance being caused.
We will also help by:
- bringing the owner's attention to the nuisance their dog barking may be causing
- offering guidance to the owner on steps they can take to reduce nuisance
- providing guidance on how to take your own action
If you live in social housing you should contact your landlord in the first instance as your landlord may be able to control the nuisance through tenancy agreements.
Find out further information about noise pollution.
In extreme cases our Community Safety Unit may be able to help. They can be contacted on 01702 432504.
Reporting dog fouling
You can report dog fouling using our online form.
For more information, please see our dog fouling leaflet.
Other complaints
We investigate dog related complaints and take a hard line against offenders. But as we have to witness the offence before we can serve a fixed penalty notice, it can be difficult for us to catch the culprit.
So when you make a complaint, we will ask you some questions. We then use this information to target offenders to improve the chances of catching those responsible. So when you need to make a dog related complaint, please help us to investigate your complaint by giving as much information as you can, such as:
- the location of the incident
- the dates or times when a dog incident occurs
- details of the breed, colour and size of the dog
- any information regarding the dog's owner
If you cannot give this information, it will greatly reduce our chances of catching offenders. In these circumstances your complaint will be dealt with as part of our routine patrols.
How to report a dog related incident
If you have witnessed a dog related incident, you can report it by contacting us.
Fixed Penalty Notices
Anyone found to be committing an offence will be served a Fixed Penalty Notice of £150 (reduced to £100 if you pay within 10 days).
If you do not pay your Fixed Penalty Notice, you may face a fine of up to £1000 or even prosecution.
For information on Dog Control Orders, please see our related downloads.