Pete the Vet: Dogs and the Irish State are undergoing the biggest review in a lifetime

A look at the changes in legislation around the keeping - and breeding - of dogs

A dog being microchipped. Picture: iStock Veterinarians cooperating while scanning a dog's chip at vet's office. Focus is on dog.

The issue of the control of dogs in Ireland is in the news again. After many years of inaction by government, it seems that significant reform is imminent.

Last November, a nine-year-old boy suffered life-changing injuries when he was attacked by a pit bull terrier while out playing near his home in Enniscorthy. This traumatic incident highlighted the fact that the existing dog control legislation in Ireland was in serious need of review, with 1700 incidents of dog bites being recorded over five years between 2016 and 2021. Following a request from the then Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue set about urgently progressing a detailed review of dog control legislation.