More than 600 dogs a year are being put down at an animal shelter funded by Carlow and Kilkenny County Councils, which is no longer big enough to deal with the increasing number of stray animals being collected.
The overcrowded conditions at the shelter at Dungarvan, Co Kilkenny, are contributing to the large number of animals which have to be put down, according to a former Kilkenny mayor, Ms Margaret Tynan.
A vet visits the shelter each Friday to put down animals for which there is no space. However, the overcrowding was so bad last week that he was called a day early as a number of animals were being kept in the dog warden's van because there was nowhere else for them.
"The problem is only going to get worse," Ms Tynan warned. "We have new housing estates going up, but we are not prepared to deal with the increased problem of stray dogs which these will create."
The shelter was opened in 1985 and was funded on a joint basis by the two local authorities. The dog licence fee was increased from £5 to £10 last February, and the Carlow Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and its counterpart in Kilkenny are hopeful that the increased revenue will enable a new shelter to be developed in Co Carlow.
Plans have also been drawn up to extend the Kilkenny facility to meet the growing demand.
New homes are found for only 30 per cent of the dogs received by the shelter. Another 30 per cent are put down because there is no room for them. The remaining 40 per cent are put down because they are unsuitable for rehousing, either because of injuries or aggressive behaviour.
A dog warden, Mr Alan Pring, said the problems at the shelter were being aggravated by people keeping dogs in unsuitable conditions. "I believe a dog needs companionship as much as it needs food," he said. "If it has to be left on its own for long periods, it would be better off with somebody else."