“Even one dog being put to sleep unnecessarily is one too many.”
The latest Dog Control statistics, which have just been released by the Department of Rural and Community Development, reveal that 725 dogs were put to sleep in Irish pounds last year.
The statistics further illustrate that 9,848 abandoned or stray dogs entered the Irish pound system across 2018.
This represents a 15% reduction compared to 2017.
In a more long-term view, this is a major decrease. 1,522 dogs were put to sleep in Irish pounds in 2016, meaning that the figure has halved in just two years.
These figures, however, do not include registered greyhounds. It was recently revealed that as many as 5,987 greyhounds were killed in Ireland last year after failing to make qualifications for racing times.
The report by RTÉ Investigates also stated that an estimated 1,000% more pups are bred than are actually needed to race. These dogs were shot at knackeries for prices ranging from €10 to €35 each. 53 greyhounds were put to sleep in Irish pounds last year
Speaking about the latest figures, Suzie Carley, Executive Director at Dogs Trust said:
“Since we began our preventative work here in Ireland, we have seen a marked reduction in the number of dogs being put to sleep in local authority pounds across the country, from 48 to two dogs per day.
“However, even one dog put to sleep unnecessarily is one dog too many and we will continue our efforts to get this figure down to zero.
“We need to examine the underlying factors that cause people to abandon or surrender their dogs and work together to prevent these vulnerable animals from becoming homeless to begin with.
“It is imperative that a collaborative approach between the animal welfare sector, veterinary professional stakeholders, the Local Authority and the relevant Government Department is prioritised as a matter of urgency, to ensure that we protect our nation’s dogs long into the future.”
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