A COUNCIL is celebrating after winning two dog warden awards.

Hart District Council employees Iris Thompson and Neil Burton won the accolades at the National Dog Warden Association (NDWA) conference held in Birmingham.

Residential environmental health manager Iris was nominated by NDWA members for the Outstanding Achievement Award 2009 for her sterling efforts in organising and co-ordinating this year’s conference, declared the best yet due to the level of organisation and quality and content of the speakers.

She managed to co-ordinate speakers from a diverse range of organisations and local authorities across the country as well as two influential speakers from the American Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Meanwhile Neil, an environmental health technical officer, received the President’s Special Award - the personal choice of the NDWA president Susan Bell.

Neil was recognised for his ongoing promotion of the role of dog wardens and the aims of NDWA across the UK as well as maintaining overseas links with the Western Australian Rangers Association, of which he is an international consultant.

Cllr Susan Band, Hart’s cabinet member for health and housing, said: "These two awards reflect the level of professionalism that staff at Hart have.

"It clearly shows that the council’s dog warden service, with the support of its manager Iris Thompson, is now an award-winning service that is going from strength to strength."