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Control of Dogs

  • 31/01/2010
Under the Control of Dogs Act, 1986, all local authorities in Ireland are responsible for the control of dogs. Local authorities have the power to appoint dog wardens, provide dog shelters, seize dogs, impose on-the-spot fines and take court proceedings against owners.

Local authorities may enter into agreements with each other to provide dog wardens and dog shelters in your area. Some local authorities may enter into agreements with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) or, with permission from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, a person or organisation connected with animal welfare to provide these services in your area.

You are liable for injury or damage caused by your dog to people or livestock.

You can be disqualified from keeping a dog if you have been convicted of cruelty to a dog under the Protection of Animals Acts, 1911 and 1965.

Rules

Dog Licences

In order to obtain a dog licence, you must be over 16 years of age. It is an offence for you to keep a dog over 4 months old unless you have a licence. Your dog must be accompanied by and be under your effective control or the control of another responsible person if it is outside your home or premises or the home or premises of the person in charge of it. You can be requested by a dog warden to produce evidence of your dog licence and failure to do so can result in an on-the-spot fine. Failure to pay this fine within a specified period can result in prosecution by your local authority. Licences are not required for dogs in the possession of the County Council, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Gardai, blind persons' guide-dogs, and any dog imported into the State for less than 30 days.

Dog licences are issued by your post office. The revenue from dog licences finances the operation of dog control services in local areas throughout the country.

Dog Identification

Dogs must at all times wear a collar that bears the name and the address of the owner inscribed on it or on a plate, badge or disc. Failure to have identification on a dog can result in an on-the-spot fine issued by a dog warden. Failure to pay this fine within a specific period can result in prosecution by your local authority.

Stray Dogs

Stray dogs are dogs that are in a public place and are not accompanied by the owner or a responsible person. Dogs that are not under proper control are also considered stray dogs. You can receive an on-the-spot fine if your dog is not under proper control. Stray dogs may be seized by the dog warden and the Gardai and brought to the local dog pound. These dogs may be put down or disposed of if their owners do not claim them within 5 days. If you dog has strayed or is missing, you should contact the local dog pound directly to check whether or not your dog has been picked up. Before you pick up your dog, you will have to pay a re-claim fee and produce a current dog licence. If you do not have a current dog licence, you must obtain one from your local post office before collecting your dog.

Local authorities and the Gardai are required to keep a register of dogs seized by them and dogs detained by other people and notified to them. You can inspect this register at the offices of your local authority or in your local Garda station.

Unwanted dogs

Unwanted dogs should be brought to the dog pound where they are accepted free of charge. Local authorities have the power to accept unwanted dogs and destroy or dispose of them if they are not rehomed.

Dog Wardens

Dog wardens have the power to request the name and address of a person suspected of an offence under the Control of Dogs Act. They also have the power to seize and detain any dog and to enter any premises, other than a residence with 5 or less dogs, to seize and detain a dog. You are guilty of an offence and can be arrested by a Garda if you obstruct a dog warden in the course of his or her work, refuse to give your name and address or give a false name and address.

Bye-laws

Many local authorities have introduced bye-laws to indicate areas where dogs must be kept on a leash or even prohibited. Your local authority will be able to inform you of the bye-laws that apply in your area. Breaches of these bye-laws relating to dogs in your area can result in fines on summary conviction.

Dog Faeces

Under new litter laws (section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act, 1997), it is an offence to allow a dog under your control to foul a public place. This means the owner/person in charge of the dog is required under this law to remove dog faeces and dispose of it in a suitable, sanitary manner. You can make a complaint to the District Court under the litter laws against an owner or someone in charge of a dog who allows that dog to foul public places and who fails to act responsibly. Before you do this, you must first inform the dog owner of your intention by completing a special form available from the Dog Control Unit of your local authority. You can read more about litter laws in Ireland here.

Barking Dogs

Excessive dog barking that causes a nuisance is an offence. Your District Court can make an order requiring the reduction of excessive barking by a dog, can limit the number of dogs that can be kept on a premises or can direct that a dog be delivered to a dog warden as an unwanted dog.

You can make a complaint about excessive barking to the District Court under Noise Regulations. Before you do this, you must first inform the dog owner of your intention by downloading and completing a special form under the Control of Dogs Act, 1986.

Guard dogs

A guard dog used at a non-residential business premises must be either accompanied by a handler or secured so that it cannot roam freely around the premises or escape.

A notice informing the public that a guard dog is on the premises must be displayed at the entrance.

The guard dog must wear a collar displaying the name and address of its owner.

The guard dog must carry an electronic implant containing a permanent identification mark given to the dog by the ISPCA. This implant must be inserted by or under the direct supervision of a veterinary surgeon authorised by the ISPCA. The dog owner is responsible for the cost involved in inserting the implant.

Kennels where more than 5 guard dogs, aged over 4 months are kept must register with the local authority. You should be aware that there are specific rules in place regarding the keeping of guard dogs in Ireland. You can read more about these rules here: SI 329/1989: Control of Dogs Act 1996 (Guard Dog) Regulations 1989

Rules relating to certain breeds of dog

The Control of Dogs (Restriction of Certain Dogs) Regulations, 1991 impose additional rules in relation to the following breeds (and strains/cross-breeds) of dog in Ireland:

  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • English Bull Terrier
  • Staffordshire Bull Terrier
  • Bull Mastiff
  • Doberman Pinscher
  • German Shepherd (Alsatian)
  • Rhodesian Ridgeback
  • Rottweiler
  • Japanese Akita
  • Japanese Tosa
  • Bandog

The rules state that:

  • These dogs (or strains and crosses of them) must be kept on a short strong lead by a person over 16 years who is capable of controlling them
  • These dogs (or strains and crosses of them) must be muzzled whenever they are in a public place
  • These dogs (or strains and crosses of them) must wear a collar bearing the name and address of their owner at all times.

The rules on muzzling and leashing do not apply to dogs used by the Gardai, the Dublin Harbour Police, State Airport Police and bona fide rescue teams in rescue operations. The rules on muzzling do not apply to guide dogs for the blind.

Penalties

Your local authority has the power to introduce bye-laws relating to dog control in your area. You should be aware that the penalties listed below are a guide; fines in your area may be higher.

Offence Fines Penalty
No dog licence On-the-spot fine:

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Comments (1)

sealgair
Said this on 18/04/2010 At 01:02 pm

I don't think that the Irish are thick, partly because my ancestry on one side is Irish and partly because the Irish I have met have all been reasonably intelligent. That said, I have never met an Irish Politician. Their legislation on dogs, particularly Staffies, leads me to the conclusion that they are not thick either, but only because they are too bloody stupid to be classed that far up the evolutionary scale. Thick is way beyond their capabilities.

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