Environment, Culture & Community
Animal Control
- Licences
- Keeping Your Pet Under Control
- Report Stray or Wandering Dogs
- Re-home a Dog
- Find a Lost Dog
- Spaying / Neutering
- Micro-chipping
- Dog Fouling
- Muzzling
- Dog Barking
- Bye-Laws
- Horses
Licences
Every dog has to have a licence which must be renewed every year.
Licences cost €20.00 and can be bought from your local Post Office or you can purchase a dog licence on the Council website.
If your dog does not have a licence the Dog Warden can issue a fine of €30.00 and if the fine is not paid the County Council will take you to Court.
Keeping Your Pet Under Control
Dogs must be kept under control at all times.
All dogs must be accompanied and-either kept on a lead or trained to heel - remain next to the person walking the dog at all times.
If your dog is not kept under control or is out alone the Warden can issue you a fine.
Report Stray or Wandering Dogs
The Dog Warden will collect stray dogs and bring them to the Council’s Pound.
If there are strays in your area please contact the Control of Dogs Section.
The Council’s Pound will keep the strays for five days. If the owner has not been found by then the Pound will endeavour to re-home the animal.
Re-home a Dog
If you are interested in re-homing a dog you can contact the Council Pound.
Not enough animals are re-homed and we need your help to ensure healthy animals are given new homes.
Find a Lost Dog
If you have lost your dog, you can contact the Council Pound or the Control of Dogs Section to enquire if we have collected your dog.
Spaying / Neutering
Every year in Ireland around 30,000 unwanted puppies have to be put to sleep.
Spaying and neutering are the surgical procedures used to stop dogs from having puppies.
These procedures also reduce the risk of your pet contracting life-threatening diseases.
Your local vet can perform the procedure and your dog will be fully healed within two weeks.
Micro-chipping
Micro-chipping is a simple way to make sure your dog can be identified if it is separated from you.
Most vets can insert the micro-chip.
Your dog must also always wear a collar and an ID tag with a contact phone number for its owner.
Dog Fouling
It is against the law not to clean up after your dog.
The fine for this offence is €150.
The Council no longer provide Pooper Scoopers to the public.
However, ‘nappy sacks,’ available from many shops for a very low price, are ideal for cleaning up after your dog.
Litter Fines can be paid online.
Muzzling
The following types of dogs MUST be muzzled at all times when out in public:
- American Pitt Bull Terrier
- Ban Dog
- Bull Mastiff
- Doberman Pinscher
- English Bull Terrier
- German Shepherd/Alsatian
- Japanese Akita
- Japanese Tosa
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Any crossbreed of these
These dogs must also be led by a person over the age of 16 and kept on a strong chain or lead not longer than 2 metres.
Dog Barking
If a dog in your area is causing a nuisance by barking, you have the right to petition to the District Court for an injunction to prevent the dog barking.
If you wish to do so, download a Dog Barking Complaint Form.
Bye-Laws
Under the Parks Bye Laws it is an offence for a dog to be off the lead in parks in the county with the exception of Killiney Hill Park and the specific offleash area in Marlay Park and Shanganagh Park.
Please note that restricted breeds are prohibited from being off-leash at either of these locations.
Under the it is an offence for dogs to be on Corbawn, Killiney, Whiterock, Sandycove, Blackrock, Forty Foot and Seapoint beaches between 10am and 7pm from the 1st June to the 30th September each year.
Guide-dogs are exempt from the Bye Laws while harnessed and working.
Horses
Any horse found wandering or being kept on public land will be removed by the Council and transported to a Horse Pound in Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny.
Should a horse be found wandering or kept on public land three times in 12 months the Council is not obliged to return the horse to its owner.
Download the Control of Horses Act, 1996 - Bye Laws