Lost dogs clearly a low priority for Haringey council leader

Last Saturday whilst walking along Shepherd s Hill in Highgate, I spotted an elderly dog, which was clearly lost from his owner. The dog would not let me approach close enough to check for any address tag, so I called the council s out-of-hours number to

Last Saturday whilst walking along Shepherd's Hill in Highgate, I spotted an elderly dog, which was clearly lost from his owner.

The dog would not let me approach close enough to check for any address tag, so I called the council's out-of-hours number to try to alert the dog warden (most sensible councils employ one).

After a series of questions about who I was and where I lived, the operator finally got round to asking me about the dog. I had to spell Shepherd's Hill three times.

I was put on hold for another five minutes only to be told that the council's dog warden only works from Monday to Friday. Was I or the dog likely to be there on Monday morning, the operator then enquired.

Council leader Claire Kober insists that animals will be safe following Labour's bizarre and controversial decision to lift the ban on animal performances in Haringey.

If my dealings with the council are anything to go by then I can only conclude that its concern for animal welfare is non-existent.

Justin Hinchcliffe

Haringey Conservatives