Hounslow Council celebrated another year of success at the RSPCA’s annual Pawprint awards.
Hounslow Council’s Animal Welfare Team have received a number of prestigious accolades at the RSPCA’s annual Pawprint Awards, becoming the only local authority in England to be recognised with platinum accreditation for its kennelling standards.
This month Hounslow Council celebrated another year of success at the RSPCA’s annual Pawprint awards, which recognises the outstanding work of local public sector organisations and individuals who go above and beyond for animal welfare.
Hounslow Council have won big across the board this year and are the only local authority in the UK to have been awarded the prestigious new Plus awards for 2025.
This is a new category only open to organisations which have already been recognised for outstanding performance across four or more core categories, which for Hounslow are: Stray Dog Services, Animal Activities Licensing (for activities including breeding and day care), Housing and Kennelling.
Animal Welfare Officer Georgia O’Brien was also highly commended from among hundreds of entries from across the country in the Special Recognition Award category, despite being just over a year into her career with Hounslow.
While working for the Council, Georgia has led complex operations tackling illegal dog breeding and other animal welfare offences, helped residents access and manage free training resources for their animals, and has offered a friendly face to vulnerable residents bringing their animals into the team’s care when they are hospitalised.
Councillor Pritam Grewal, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Customer Experience and Enforcement at Hounslow Council, said:
I’d like to say a huge thank you to Georgia and the whole Animal Welfare Team for their tireless work for protecting animals in Hounslow, and I’m delighted to see their excellence recognised by one of the UK’s most prominent animal welfare organisations.
This year, our team have risen admirably to the challenges presented by a 276% year-on-rise in the number of animals coming through our kennels. It’s testament to their dedication and hard work that in spite of this increased demand, they remain committed to delivering world-class animal welfare services.
The team regularly deal with difficult cases involving mistreated or abandoned animals such as Mike (pictured), who was rushed for emergency treatment after being dumped in an allotment while suffering from significant and painful eye injuries, and recovered well in a foster home before being adopted.
In order to find loving and safe new homes for animals like Mike, the team work with animal rescues all over England, covering nearly 4000 miles rehoming stray animals in the last year alone.
Daily care for the dogs in the Council’s kennels includes walks, sensory stimulation through scent work, and activities like mystery boxes with treats hidden in various textures and smells.
