Dogs killed on streets of Wexford village were not microchipped

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Concern is growing in Clonroche following a series of incidents in which dogs running loose have been knocked down and killed on the village’s main road.

At least three dogs have been killed in traffic incidents over the past two months, prompting questions about enforcement powers and the responsibility for checking dog licences.

At the January meeting of the New Ross Municipal District (NRMD) Councillor Bridín Murphy requested some clarity on who could investigate whether pets were licensed or not.

“During the Christmas period there were a number of dogs killed on the main road through Clonroche,” she said. “Has the Control of Dogs Act changed so that enforcement has shifted from the guards to the local authorities? Do the guards no longer have operational powers to demand dog licenses? Considering we only have two dog wardens in the county this is something of a concern.”

Praising Wexford County Council’s (WCC) dog wardens for their work, Cllr Murphy said children at the local school had witnessed one of the dogs being killed on the road.

“The public in Clonroche are really fed up with dogs running loose and seeing them getting killed on the roads in front of children, it’s becoming an ongoing issue in the village.”

Stating that she wasn’t aware of any changes to the Control of Dogs Act and that the wardens carried out license checks on a daily basis, Melissa Goff of WCC’s environment department said she would look into the issue and provide an update to Cllr Murphy after the meeting.

Thereafter, she confirmed the Control of Dogs Act had not changed and that the gardaí have the power to check licenses where they feel “(it is) appropriate”. It was also confirmed that of the three dogs who were killed on Clonroche’s main street in recent weeks, none were microchipped.