A CHARITY has pledged to carry on supporting a council that has not ordered the destruction of a single stray dog in the past 15 months.

Executive members of the Dogs Trust, formerly the National Canine Defence League, were told how funding could continue to improve a dog's life, on a tour of Middlesbrough, recently.

Middlesbrough Council used to have a high rate of destroying dogs, but then embarked on a rehoming scheme, advertising lost pets on a website and display boards, while encouraging micro-chipping and neutering.

The trust has supported Middlesbrough Council for five years through its micro-chipping and neutering scheme.

Paul Robertson, the council's environmental protection manager, said: "The turnaround we have had in Middlesbrough has been fantastic, but there is still more to do.

"Through the support of Dogs Trust and our Neighbourhood Regeneration funding we are hoping to achieve even more in the next two years.''

Clarissa Baldwin, the trust's chief executive, said: "What Middlesbrough has achieved in the last five years is amazing. They certainly prove that a long-term campaign can make all the difference to an area.

"As Paul says, there is still a fair way to go, but Dogs Trust will continue to help to achieve our common aim of never seeing a healthy dog destroyed.''