COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, December 11, 2023

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor T. Costello

To ask the manager, how many times in the past 12 months has the dog shelter had to refuse a dog being surrendered

REPLY:

Under the Control of Dogs Act, 1986, Section 12 (1) states that a local authority may accept from its owner, or from a person authorised by the owner, an unwanted dog and, subject to subsection (2) of this section, may dispose of such dog or arrange for its destruction in a humane manner.

As the Act states, the Council does not have an obligation to take surrenders. SDCC do not record the number of refusals as sometimes it’s a short-term refusal, other times longer. On occasions, the dog owner has found another home for the dog. A surrender may not be taken if the dog pound is near capacity. The local authority has an obligation to take stray dogs into the dog pound and therefore these are prioritised.

SDCC have taken 65 surrenders since January 2023.  SDCC do not charge a fee to members of the public who wish to surrender their dog. Dog owners wishing to surrender their dog to the Council's Dog Warden, must provide a dog licence as proof of ownership.