The number of dogs destroyed in the Irish pound is down 57%, according to new figures.
The latest dog monitoring statistics from the Department of Rural and Community Development found that 171 dogs, excluding greyhounds, were put to sleep in Irish pounds in 2020, a 57% drop from 398 dogs who suffered the same fate in the previous year.
One greyhound was killed, down from five in 2019.
The report also found that the number of dogs entering the Irish pound last year fell by 43%.
5,267 dogs entered an Irish pound last year, down from 9,103 dogs in 2019.
Vet Pete Wedderborn welcomed the numbers, saying: the magazine That the number of dogs euthanized is a «historic low».
«I’ve been working as a vet since 1990 in Ireland, and when I heard about how many sterling dogs are being decimated every year at that time, I was absolutely disgusted. It was a horrible figure. It was about 30,000 every year.
“The number of stray dogs being destroyed by the pound has never been so low.”
The Dogs Trust also welcomed the drop in numbers, but cautioned that 2020 was a «very unique year» as the Covid-19 pandemic led to «unprecedented demand» for dogs.
They said surrender requests are up 212% over the past three months as life begins to return to normal across the country.
“2020 has been an anomalous year, given that it saw the largest demand we have ever seen for dogs in this country,” said Becky Bristow, CEO of Dogs Trust Ireland.
«We have to take that and the fact that some dogs have had to close at certain points of the various closings, into account when looking at dog control statistics for this year.»
«Given that 1,468 dog owners are still surrendering their dogs for the pounds, we are keen to establish the reasons for this and urge local authorities to record the reasons given,» Bristow added.
Federborn is concerned that the number of pets being delivered now could lead to an «surge» next year.
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«Unfortunately, people now realize what they should have thought before they took on the puppy, which is that the dog requires a lot of work,» he said.
People when they were stuck at home with not much to do thought it was a perfect opportunity to get a dog. But having a cute and cuddly puppy is one thing, and it’s another thing to have a big bouncy dog that costs you £20 a day in boarding fees when you go on holidays, which is annoying at home. Neighbors by barking.
He feels that the biggest problem facing dogs in Ireland is a lack of education on how to take care of them properly, adding that everyone in the animal care business should focus on helping people avoid feeling compelled to hand over their dogs.
«It’s the kind of thing to do,» Wedderburn said.
“People need support in dog ownership. There is no doubt that dogs can add so much to people’s lives, but a lot of people do it wrong. They make mistakes, and it’s not their fault, it’s because they just don’t know better.”
He added that everyone «needs to be proactive» to ensure that the number of dogs sleeping continues to decline.
“I really believe that if people could be supported with their dogs during adolescence and early adulthood, most dogs would settle down and become really wonderful pets. They give people a great deal of positive energy in their lives.”