Pets

Owners or their tenants must be made aware of the condition in the lease which states

"Not keep any bird, animal or reptile on the Premises which in the opinion of the Lessors (Management Company) may cause annoyance to the owners and occupiers of any part of the Retained Premises"

http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/DogControl/

Dog Fouling

Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997 makes it an offence for the person in charge of a dog not to clean up when their dog fouls in a public place. Please act responsibly - clean up after your dog and dispose of the dirt in a suitable sanitary manner; use a paper bag. Dog dirt is a health hazard and some day your child might be affected by someone else’s failure to ‘do the right thing’. Train your dog to “go at home” in the garden. Failure to clean up your dog’s waste can lead to a 150 euro “on-the-spot” fine or on summary conviction to a fine of up to 3,000 euro.

What can I do about barking dogs?

Excessive barking which causes a nuisance to any person is an offence. In a good-neighbourly manner, let the dog’s owner know how the barking affects you. They may not have realised what was happening. If that approach fails, a complaint about excessive barking should be made to the District Court. To do this, you must first inform the dog owner in writing using a prescribed form, which can be obtained from your local authority.

What powers do dog wardens have?

The powers of dogs wardens include the power to request the name and address of a person where there are reasonable grounds for believing the person is committing, or has committed, an offence under the dog control legislation; to seize and detain any dog and to enter any premises (other than a dwelling), for the purpose of such seizure or detention. It is an offence to impede or obstruct a dog warden in carrying out his/her duties.

Dog Identification

The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 (Statutory Instrument No. 442 of 1998) require the owner or other person in charge of a dog to ensure that at all times, the dog wears a collar having the name and address of the owner on an attached plate, badge or disc.The regulations contain penalties for non-compliance with this requirement or for defacing or rendering illegible the above particulars.

While the law does not require an owner to micro-chip their dog at present, it is a good means to ensure that if your dog goes astray, when found it can be reunited with you/its owner quickly. If a person has a good relationship with a dog that becomes lost, micro-chipping the animal should help to lessen the ‘ grief ‘by aiding the pet’s recovery. It’s a once-off procedure, the chip is about the size of a grain of rice and is secure and permanent. Chips can vary in quality - talk to a vet, to someone who has undergone a recognised training course or to the ISPCA. The necessary back-up data or ‘paperwork’ must be done also.