Three dogs were found dumped in a ditch by a local man in Coole, Co. Westmeath.
Philip Dempsey made the gruesome discovery of the bodies of three dogs discarded in a ditch on private land belonging to Bord na Móna, an Irish semi-state renewable energy company.
According to Mr Dempsey, the animals appeared to have been fatally shot in the head.
Dempsey described the deceased animals as “well-fed, young and healthy,”.
No attempt was made to hide the dogs’ bodies which were visible to passing traffic. It is believed that the dogs were lurcher and terrier types.
Westmeath County Council have removed and disposed of the three dogs.
The ISPCA, contacted by Mr. Dempsey, informed him that as the dogs were not microchipped, there is nothing of evidential value to pursue a Garda investigation.
In Ireland, It is a legal requirement to have all dogs microchipped. S.I. No. 63/2015 -Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015 outlines the legal requirements of microchipping a dog.
Dog owners are now legally required to be in possession of a Microchipping Certificate, which is a printed legal document confirming the information that is registered on a government-approved database.
To be fully compliant with the legislation as a dog owner you must take the following three steps:
have your dog microchipped by a registered implanter.
have your details registered on a Government approved database (the microchip implanter is responsible for this).
be in possession of a printed Microchipping Certificate.
You can expect to pay €20-€50 to have your dog microchipped at the vet.
Alternatively, you may want to contact your Local Authority Dog Warden for information on any local microchipping schemes that may be running.
Dogs can be of any age can be injected with a microchip. A consultation with your dog’s vet will provide advice and guidance on getting your dog microchipped.
If you have any information on this dog dumping incident, please contact the Gardaí in Westmeath or the ISPCA.
To report any animal welfare concerns:
ISPCA’s National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 0818 515 515
Report online at: https://ispca.ie/report-cruelty
E:helpline@ispca.ie.
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If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor