Cork tops list for putting stray dogs down

66% of all dogs brought in by council’s wardens are put down

A higher percentage of stray dogs are put down in Co Cork than anywhere else in the country.

The “extremely disturbing issue” has been highlighted by a group of local animal lovers who have lobbied county councillors to do something about the deaths.

The group highlighted that 66% of all strays brought in by the council’s wardens were put down.

The latest figures available to Animal Welfare Cork (AWC), for the year 2013, show that the council’s 11 part-time wardens collected 592 strays.

In total 391 of them were put down, while the remaining lucky ones were reclaimed by their owners, or were transferred to rescue centres and managed to find a new home.

Wexford, which employs one full-time and one part-time warden was the busiest county when it came to dealing with strays.

That year, it brought in 1,254 dogs and put down 441 or them, which represents a 35% death rate.

An animal’s chances of survival were particularly good in Co Leitrim where 585 strays were brought in, which is roughly similar to Cork. But just seven dogs (1.2%) were put down there.

Life expectancy was even rosier in Cavan where just three of the 260 animals impounded, or just 1.15%, were put down.

The South Dublin area dealt with 979, the second highest in the country. Yet just 70, or 7.15%, were killed.

During that year, local authorities nationwide took in 15,743 stray dogs.

Of those 3,516 were killed, making the national average 22.33% – around a third of the Co Cork percentage.

AWC said it was especially alarming that Cork County Council didn’t advertise stray dogs which it farms out to privately-owned pounds, making it less likely that they would be reunited with their owners, and has asked why other local authorities looked to be doing a better job.

“Dogs killed on our roads can be left there for weeks, despite contacting Cork County Council,” a AWC spokeswoman said. She added that in one case her organisation had reported a dead collie to the authorities which was lying on the side of the N22 near Farnanes.

The report was made a week before Christmas and the carcass was still there at January 31 last.

AWC said that existing legislation allowed for a stray dog to be photographed and its picture displayed in a garda station near where it was found roaming. Yet the organisation said this rarely happens.

“We are prepared to work alongside the local authority and dog pound services to ensure a mutually satisfactory solution to the above mentioned issues,” the AWC spokeswoman said.

A county council spokesman said the local authority “is currently engaging with a number of (animal) charities with a view to facilitating more rehousing.”

The Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Alan Coleman branded the figures “a disgrace”.

A dog-owner himself, Cllr Coleman said he would be working closely with council officials to reduce the number of dogs which are being put down.

He said in the first place an education policy needed to be put in place whereby council vets might visit schools and point out the value of a dog and how they shouldn’t be mistreated.

“We should then be advertising the fact that we have stray dogs in our possession and see if we can try to unite them with new owners,” Cllr Coleman said.