Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions when it recovered Miss X’s deceased pet. It is unlikely we would find fault in the Council’s actions.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council did properly respond and inform her that it had recovered her deceased pet. She also complained the Council did not scan her pet for ownership information, and did not return her calls.
2. Miss X complained the Council’s actions made her feel ill, anxious and impacted her financially.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X was unhappy with the Council’s communication, which she said caused a delay in collecting her pet, after the Council recovered it.
7. I have considered the Council’s stage one and stage two complaint responses. The Council told Miss X it was not able to identify her pet, when it first recovered it. It said when it carried out another scan, it identified her pet and was then able to confirm ownership to Miss X. Given the Council’s explanation for its actions here, it is unlikely we would find fault. Therefore, we will not investigate.
8. Nor will we investigate how the Council communicated with Miss X over this matter, because it is not a good use of public resources to investigate how the Council communicated, when we are not considering the substantive issues.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is unlikely we would find fault.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman