Dozens of bottles of the chemical used to put dogs down have been stolen from a locked unit in a pound in Tralee, Co Kerry. The pound is one of the busiest in the country in terms of the number of dogs it destroys.
Gardaí have issued a public warning after the break-in and theft at the Kerry County Council animal shelter in Tralee.
Up to 30 bottles of ethanol were taken along with the safe in which they were stored on Thursday morning.
Each bottle contained around 100ml of the sky-blue chemical, described by vets as a general anaesthetic. They had been stored in a locked safe along with other items.
"The chemical would be extremely important if ingested by humans," the Garda Press Office said. Veterinary surgeons in Kerry said that about 25ml of ethanol, which is an anaesthetic, was used to put a dog to sleep.
Last year more dogs were destroyed in Kerry than in any other county. Of the 1,416 dogs euthanised about a quarter were greyhounds, it is understood. Others included sheepdogs, dogs worrying sheep and strays which could not be rehomed.
According to a recent council report, rehoming dogs in Kerry was proving difficult as many of the dogs surrendered to the pound had been creating problems such as "biting, aggression, chasing cars, chasing livestock or barking".
County vet Paddy Fenton has said not enough people spay or neuter their dogs in Kerry, and large numbers of dogs are surrendered to the pound by their owners each year.
Gardaí in Tralee have not ruled out the possibility that people concerned with animal rights might have been behind the theft of the ethanol this week. However, it was more likely the thieves were looking for money and suspected the safe contained cash or valuables, Sgt Bill Browne said.