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Press Release

Minister Canney announces publication of the 2018 dog control statistics

Published: 23 July 2019
From: Department of Rural and Community Development

Mr Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development, has today announced the publication of the 2018 dog control statistics.

Minister Canney said:

“I am pleased to announce that my Department has today published the 2018 dog control statistics in relation to certain dog control functions of local authorities. These include detail on the number of dog licences issued, the management of dog pounds and dog breeding establishments.
“These statistics also include details on the number of dogs entering local authority pounds, which I am pleased to note is decreasing year-on-year, down from a high of over 26,000 in 2002 to 9,961 in 2018. These statistics also include details on the number of dogs rehomed, transferred to welfare groups and euthanised.”

The total number of dogs that were euthanised in local authority pounds in 2018 was 778, down from a high of over 21,000 in 2002, 996 in 2017 and 1,674 in 2016. The Minister pointed out that the majority of dogs that enter pounds are re-united with their owners, rehomed or transferred to animal welfare groups.

Minister Canney continued:

“It is a legal requirement for all dog owners to have a dog licence and to have their dog micro-chipped. If a stray dog, which is micro-chipped, enters the local authority pound the microchip can be scanned and the dog easily re-united with its owner.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank local authorities for their ongoing work on dog control and related activities and for their assistance to my Department in the compilation of these statistics.”

The statistics are available here.

Finally, the Minister reminded the public that a public consultation on dog control in Ireland is currently open. Further details are available at the link here. The public consultation closes on Friday 6 September and the Minister urged all interested parties to make a submission before that date.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

  • Seán Canney TD is the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development with special responsibility for Dog Control.
  • Responsibility for the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishment 2010 rests with his Department.
  • The dog control statistics are published annually by the Department of Rural and Community Development from statistical information provided to the Department by all local authorities.
  • The 2018 statistics are available here.
  • The number of dog breeding establishments in 2018 is 253 which is largely unchanged from the 2017 figure of 258. This figure of 253 consists of 91 Commercial Dog Breeding Establishments (CDBEs), 93 Hunts Clubs, 46 Commercial Boarding Kennels (CBKs) with the remainder consisting of Animal Welfare Shelters (AWS).

A public consultation on dog control in Ireland is currently open. Further details are available at the link here . The public consultation opened on 1 July 2019 and will close on 6 September 2019.

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