By Joe McCabe
joe@monaghanpost.com

WITH over 70 dogs a month in County Monaghan ending up in one of Monaghan’s two NSPCA centres, moves were made this week to provide a purpose built dog pound and to have fines for uncontrolled dogs substantially increased.
Lorie O’Reilly a volunteer for the NSPCA recently hit out at the level of animal cruelty in Monaghan saying that the number of animals being put down was “shockingly high”, “Litters of pups are being dumped on roadsides”, she told the Post.
At this week’s meeting of Monaghan County Council Cllr Hughie McElvaney proposed that funding from the council’s annual budget be allocated to the provision of a new pound.
County Monaghan Veterinary Officer, Brendan Smith, said that that there were in the region of 7,500 dogs in County Monaghan. 3,300 were currently licenced but this figure is expected to increase to 4,000 by the end of this year.
A new pound was needed he said the running of which could be funded from dog licences, pound fees, fines, the Department of Agriculture, with the support of the MSPCA and through Public Private Partnership.
Ms Lorie O’Neill of the MSPCA told the council that her organisation was spending €30,000 on rent annually and could rent kennels in a new County Pound.
The council was told that a UK based animal welfare charity was contributing substantial funds towards the care of animals throughout Ireland as it had identified a great need here.
County Manager, Declan Nelson described the current fines of €31.75 for unlicensed and uncontrolled dogs as ridiculous. The council will write to the Department of the Environment to have these fines increased he said. “I think that we should carry out a survey in other counties to see what designs are out there,” concluded, Mr Nelson.