COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, October 10, 2022
QUESTION NO. 4
QUESTION: Councillor Carly Bailey
To ask the Chief Executive for a report into the activities of dog wardens. Report to include how many are employed, how many are on duty at any one time and their role in relation to surveying parks/dog fouling.
REPLY:
South Dublin County Council currently employs two full time Dog Wardens within the administrative area.
The Dog Warden Service encourages responsible dog ownership and continually promotes the benefits of microchipping dogs and how this will assist in reuniting dog owners with their dogs if lost or worse stolen. Last year 241 stray and surrendered dogs were dealt with by the wardens, happily 69 dogs were reunited with their owners and a further 162 had been rehomed by the end of the year.
As part of their enforcement role under the Control of Dogs Act, the Dog Wardens will:
- Respond to complaints relating to dogs not under effectual control and/or dangerous dogs, including incidents of sheep worrying.
- Carry out licence checks and initiate enforcement proceedings if necessary
- Collect unwanted and stray dogs
Since the introduction of the Control of Dogs Act and subsequent programmes of awareness and enforcement the number of unwanted and stray dogs collected by the Wardens in South Dublin has reduced by around 90%. During the same period, the number of sheep worrying incidents reduced by a similar amount.
The Dog Wardens also deal with complaints related to dogs on a daily basis e.g. Barking dogs, Stray dogs, Surrendered dogs, Nuisance dogs. The service regularly receives complaints about other animals including foxes and even swans! These are referred on to appropriate agencies, where possible. The wardens patrol all areas of the County including parks and open spaces.
The Wardens liaise with other Council sections and departments in carrying out their work, including the Park Ranger Service in respect of the control of dogs in council parks and open spaces and will advise and assist estate management in the Councils Housing Department.
The Dog Wardens can be contacted on 01 414 9000.
The Bye-Laws for Parks and Open Spaces 2011 came into force on the 1st August 2011 and are for the use, operation, protection, regulation and management of Parks and Open Spaces owned, controlled and managed by, or in the charge of South Dublin County Council.
Section 4 of the Bye-Laws deals specifically with the control of dogs, while Section 8 and 9 deal with enforcement, penalties and fixed payment notices in relation to the contravention of any of the provisions of the Bye-Laws.
Park Rangers as employees of the Council are authorised to enforce the SDCC Bye-laws. In the event that a member or members of the public fails to co-operate with an instruction or direction of a Park Ranger, the next step, depending on the severity of the breach of the Bye-laws is to seek the assistance of An Garda Siochána to enforce the Bye-law. They are empowered to direct the public to comply with the Bye-laws and a frequent activity in this regard is to request members of the public to put dogs on a leash.
The Park Rangers patrol the parks on foot and by vehicle and /or Electric Bike, 7 days a week during official park opening times.