MIDDLESBROUGH Council’s Dog Warden Service is moving with the times and making use of social media.

The service has launched its own ‘Middlesbrough Council Dog Warden Service’ page on Facebook.

It’s hoped the page on the hugely popular social networking site will help to reunite lost dogs with their owners and find new homes for strays.

The Middlesbrough Dog Wardens are believed to be the first in the UK to use the site in this way, but the approach is expected to catch on.

As well as re-homing those dogs which remain unclaimed, wardens hope to develop the site as a two-way forum, with those who have lost dogs also able to upload information and pictures to assist their search.

In future it is envisaged that dog wardens will be able to upload information using web-enabled phones as soon as a dog is picked up.

Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Community Protection, said: “Dogs are a man’s best friend, but unfortunately at this time of year, too many turn out to be surplus to requirements.

“The Dog Warden Service does a great job of keeping the number of strays on the streets to a minimum, and finding responsible, caring homes for animals which have been abandoned through no fault of their own.

“The Facebook page is another innovative idea which will help to speed up that process, and help missing dogs find their way home.”

The Middlesbrough Dog Warden Service’s Facebook page can be viewed at: http://tinyurl.com/mbrodogservice