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Animal Welfare

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025

Tuesday, 18 November 2025

Questions (846)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

846. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the breakdown, by local authority, of the number of dogs euthanised in dog kennels and pounds in the past five years. [62754/25]

View answer

Written answers

Each year my Department collects and collates statistics from local authorities in relation to dog control services, with 2024 representing the most recent full year for which statistics are available. These statistics include the number of dogs that are euthanised.

The report notes that there was a 10% year-on-year increase in the number of dogs euthanised in local authority pounds/shelters in 2024, following a 75% year-on-year increase from 2022 to 2023. However, it should be noted that the overall number of dogs euthanised in local authority pounds/shelter remains significantly below where it was a decade ago, and the overall trend of euthanisations over that period is a downward one.

The numbers of dogs euthanised by local authority for the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive are provided in tabular form in the attached table. Statistics relating to dog control since 2010 are published and available on: www.gov.ie/en/collection/879d4c-dog-control-statistics/.

Number of Dogs Euthanised

Local Authority

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Carlow

1

4

1

0

0

Cavan

9

2

0

0

1

Clare

46

47

24

15

13

Cork City

34

20

16

3

5

Cork County

36

92

66

25

27

Donegal

13

11

10

6

8

Dublin City

76

45

5

2

5

Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown

9

0

1

0

3

Fingal

26

18

2

0

4

Galway City

9

3

7

4

0

Galway County

24

22

28

8

10

Kerry

12

7

2

3

2

Kildare

23

1

3

1

3

Kilkenny

3

5

1

0

2

Laois

32

16

4

0

0

Leitrim

9

6

6

6

1

Limerick City & County

46

69

5

0

3

Longford

10

21

13

4

0

Louth

12

10

7

8

10

Mayo

17

15

19

7

5

Meath

22

4

7

4

1

Monaghan

2

10

3

2

5

Offaly

1

7

0

1

0

Roscommon

6

19

5

3

0

Sligo

25

22

3

0

0

South Dublin

22

17

13

10

20

Tipperary

50

43

23

12

3

Waterford City & County

5

2

0

5

3

Westmeath

26

15

14

7

5

Wexford

31

38

51

29

32

Wicklow

18

5

1

2

0

TOTALS

655

596

340

167

171

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