Eoin Ryan
Ireland has seen a massive increase this year in the amount of dogs being surrendered to Dogs Trust Ireland and shelters, including in Meath.
In 2022, there were 1,752 dogs surrendered to Dogs Trust Ireland between January 1st and July 31st, a 41% increase on the same period in 2021.
Meath Dog Shelter is seeing a similar increase for both stray dogs and those surrendered by their owners to the shelter.
Ian Kenny from Meath Dog shelter said there has been a growing ‘myth’ that people adopted a dog during restrictions and are giving them up now that they have less free time but “it’s just overblown.” There have been a few owners giving their dogs away for this reason but much fewer than the public perception would believe.
There are several reasons that an owner might surrender a dog “But our big thing is people moving house, renters, and the new landlord simply won’t allow a dog and people have no choice of a house,” Ian from Meath dog shelter said.
“We’ve had people out here in tears having to surrender their dog because the new landlord won’t allow a dog,” Kenny continued.
The current rental crisis has meant dog owners have no choice in where they rent or if the landlord allows for dogs or not on that property.
He also wanted to dispel the myth that most dog shelters in Ireland euthanize a large proportion of dogs brought in which has become a worry among owners surrendering their dogs.
Only four dogs were euthanized in 2021 with only one taking place so far in 2022. This would be done due to the dog having aggressive behaviour or that they killed livestock or other animals
“People have this perception that we put down dogs after a week or two weeks. that just doesn’t happen here. We have never put down a healthy dog here. We get a home for every single dog.
“Seriously aggressive dogs” are the only ones euthanised while the rest are given to willing owners both in Ireland and other parts of Europe.
All dogs surrendered into Meath Dog Shelter find a home and the longest they would wait would be a month. Small dogs are more likely to find a new owner quicker than larger breeds, meaning some large dogs can be waiting long periods in the dog shelter. One of these dogs who has been in the shelter waiting for an owner is Rocky, a 5 year old German Shepherd who is nervous around new people but great with other dogs and kids. He used to live in a garden with another dog for his whole life so he would be a lovely inclusion to a home already having a dog.
Another that has been waiting a while for another family is Bolto, a one year old terrier who is as hyper as it comes. He is house trained but the owners should not have any small kids as he is jumpy. His perfect family would give him loads of walks and plenty of space to run around in.
Lexi is one of the fluffier dogs, who came in recently as a stray and is currently waiting for a new home. She is a 5 year old Akita who is very clean but loves strolling in and out of a garden freely and is very eager to please. Older children would be preferred as she loves jumping up for cuddles and no cats or other dogs allowed as she needs to be the centre of attention.
If you would like to adopt any three of these dogs simply contact Meath dog shelter to see if they are still up for adoption.
Meath South East News 