ANVIL Ireland campaigns for responsible animal ownership and we believe that public safety is paramount.   We are in favour of updating of the Control of Dogs Act which would be effective nationwide, and would ensure traceability and accountability of owners.

We have submitted our recommendations to DCC and have asked for support in having them considered by the Minister for the Environment.

Banning specific breeds has not worked in other countries and wont work here.  The root problems in Ireland are, unregulated production of dogs, lack of traceability and accountability of owners, and lack of enforcement of the existing legislation.

When a dog attack is reported in the media, the focus is always on the breed rather than the owner.  While there are many incidents of dog bites by all sorts of breeds, the only ones the media focus on  are ones involving the so called 'dangerous' breeds so the public perception of these dogs is often skewed.

On the one hand, German Sheperds are used as guide dogs, therapy dogs, and rescue dogs; on the other they are on the restricted breeds list.  This seems to be a contradiction, either these dogs are 'dangerous' or they're not.

We in Ireland must look at our overall attitude to animals, especially those that live in close proximity with us.  There needs to be more emphasis on public awareness campaigns and education of both children and adults.

Attempting to understand 'mans best friend' would be a better starting point rather than banning them.

26th July, 2007

ANVIL and other animal welfare oganisations met with representatives of DCC.  We have outlined our position on this matter and have asked for clarification, especially in relation to the decision making process.  We are awaiting specific information from DCC and our campaign against this purported ban is ongoing.

Please contact local councillors and relevant members of Dublin City Council outlining your opposition to this ban and asking that it be lifted.  There has been no council decision on this matter and from our information, members will be asked to vote on it in September.  Now is the time to voice your concerns.

You will find the details of local representatives on the lobby page of this site.  Please take the time to do this, if this ban is not stopped now it will spread to other areas.  You may not be affected at present but there is no guarantee that you wont be in the future.  Now is the time to act.  We would ask that people are polite and respectful in any communictions with either councillors or council officials on this matter.  We will update when we have more news.

15th July, 2007

Two of the main Sunday papers carried excellent articles on the outright stupidity of a blanket ban.  These articles highlight the lack of thinking on the part of DCC both in the introduction of this ban, and the implementation of it.

They also point to the real problems, lack of enforcement, on the part of DCC, of current dog control legislation; and the attitutude of Irish people, generally, to dogs.  DCC would be better advised to educate and enforce rather than ban and dictate.

ANVIL have offered to meet with DCC to discuss this matter.  We have contacted the relevant party group leaders within the council and we await a reply.  We will update with any developments.

14th July, 2007

News of this ban has spread like wildfire and we are receiving offers of support from all over the world.  No one should be complacent.  If DCC win this, the ban will undoubtedly spread to other local authorities and will be nationwide in no time.

Like the smoking ban, it will make its' way across the Irish Sea and even further afield.  Everyone needs to get behind the campaign to stop this ludicrous ban, please sign and crosspost our petition.  Write to DCC councillors show your support for Irish dogs and prevent this  happening in other places.

13th July, 2007

Peaceful protest at DCC headquarters was very successful with both affected tenants and animal welfare groups in attendance.  We were also joined by some very well behaved Staffies and a beautiful 'blonde' German Sheperd!  There was lots of media coverage which was all positive and there was support from passing motorists as well.

The fact that so many people turned out in driving rain and in spite of the misinformation emanating from the council, even as late as this morning, shows how strongly people feel about this issue.

12th July, 2007

Printable version of petition

Completed petitions should be sent to ANVIL Ireland, PO Box 10914, Dublin 22

12th July, 2007

The latest offical statement from DCC is that the ban still stands.  There is no back down by the council and the 11 restricted breeds can no longer be kept in DCC accomodation.

11th July, 2007

Everyone affected by Dublin City Councils' ban should be familiar with  particular sections of the relevant legislation i.e. the Control of Dogs Act, 1986.

Restricted breeds as outlined in the Control of Dogs (Restriction of Certain Breeds), 1991 are the 11 breeds listed by Dublin City Council.

Dublin City Council and its' wardens can only enforce the existing legislation.  If you need any other information, contact us on 0861999512 or info@anvilireland.ie

A dog warden cannot enter your home to seize a dog unless a warrant has been issued.  If a warden tries to gain entry, call the Gardai or seek legal advice.

If you own a dog on the restricted breed list you should be aware of the law, i.e

you have a dog licence,

your dog is muzzled and leashed when out in public

your dog has a collar and identity tag

your dog hasn't caused a nuisance or attacked either people or other animals

Relevant Section of the Control of Dogs act, 1986, relating to the power of a dog warden.

Powers of dog wardens.  16.—(1) A dog warden may--

  ( a ) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that a person is committing, or has committed, an offence under this Act or under any regulation or bye-law made thereunder, request of the person his name and address and may request that any information given be verified;

  ( b ) seize any dog and detain it in order to ascertain whether an offence under this Act is being or has been committed and may enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purposes of such seizure and detention;

  ( c ) enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purpose of preventing or ending--

  (i) an attack by a dog on any person, or

  (ii) the worrying of livestock;

  ( d ) enter any premises (other than a dwelling)-

  (i) which are registered in accordance with regulations made under section 19 of this Act, or

  (ii) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that more than five dogs which are aged over four months are kept,

  and therein examine such dogs as he may find there and the kennels or part of the premises in which the dogs are kept;

  (e) request any person who owns, is in charge of, or is in possession of a dog to produce, as the case may be, a dog licence or a general dog licence, within ten days of the date of the request, for examination by the dog warden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dangerous dogs does not necessarily mean a restrcted breed, any dog who attacks people or livestock could be considered dangerous regardless of breed.  Keeping your dog under effectual control is important.  Your dog should not be out alone or under the control of someone under the age of 16.

Know the law

Relevant section of the Control of Dogs Act, 1986, relating to Dangerous dogs

Dangerous.  22.—(1) Where--

  ( a ) on a complaint being made to the District Court by any interested person that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, or

  ( b ) on the conviction of any person for an offence under section 9 (2) of this Act,

  it appears to the Court that the dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, the Court may, in addition to any other penalty which it may impose, order that the dog be kept under proper control or be destroyed.

  (2) Whenever the Court orders the destruction of a dog pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the Court may--

  ( a ) direct that the dog be delivered to a dog warden or any suitable person to be destroyed, and

  ( b ) direct that the expenses of the destruction of the dog be paid by the owner of the dog.

  (3) Whenever a dog is delivered to a dog warden or any other person pursuant to an order of the Court to be destroyed, the person to whom the dog is delivered shall, as soon as possible, destroy the dog, or cause it to be destroyed, in a humane manner.

  (4) Any sums payable by the owner of a dog pursuant to a direction of the Court under subsection (2) (b) of this section may be recovered by a local authority as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

  (5) Where a dog is proved to have caused damage in an attack on any person, or to have injured livestock, it may be dealt with under this section as a dangerous dog which has not been kept under proper control.

  A dog warden or a member of the Garda Síochána cannot enter your home without a warrant.  A warrant can only be granted under the Control of Dogs Act in the following circumstances.

Search warrants will usually only be granted where a breach of the Control of Dogs Act has or is thought to have occurred.

Relevant section of Control of Dogs Act, 1986, relating to Search warrants

Search warrants.  26.—(1) If a Justice of the District Court or a Peace Commissioner is satisfied by the information on oath of a member of the Garda Síochána that there were reasonable grounds for believing that--

  ( a ) a dog has attacked a person or has worried livestock, and

  ( b ) in consequence of the attack or the worrying, the owner of the dog has committed an offence under this Act, and

  ( c ) a person is in possession in any premises of a dog which the member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing to be the dog involved in the said attack or the said worrying,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10th July, 2007

ANVIL is consulting legal advisors on this matter.  We will be informed in the next few days of the best course of action to take from a legal standpoint.  We intend to take any action necessary to fight this discriminatory ban.

If you are worried or have been approached about your animals, contact us on info@anvilireland.ie or 0861999512.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9th July, 2007

Our advice to anyone who may be affected by this move by Dublin City Council is to sit tight.  Don't panic, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau and seek legal advice.  This would seem to be an attack on peoples' civil liberties as much as anything else.

If we allow this ban to be implemented, where wil it end.  Your pet could be next.  Please don't allow these dogs to be killed because of a few irresponsilbe owners.  Let your local representatives know how you feel.  These dogs can't represent themsleves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July, 2007

Dublin City Council has announced a ban on the eleven restricted breeds from all Dublin City Council properties.  This includes; houses, flats and estates and is with immediate effect.  The council also plans to amend by laws which would include a ban in public parks also.  The council have written to the Minister for the Environment, Mr John Gormley, calling for a nationwide ban.

This move will see the destruction of thousands of family pets and is ill informed and unwelcome by most animal lovers and dog owners.  One of the aims of ANVIL is to promote responsible pet ownership through education and properly enforced legilsation.  This action will do nothing to either educate the public or tackle the problem of agressive dogs.

Outright bans have nor worked in other countries and have led to criminal activity involving certain breeds, being driven underground or undesirables moving to other breeds.  Many of the breeds listed in the 1991 regulations were originally herding animals, it is bad breeding, irresponsible ownership and a lack of enforcement of the existing legilsation that sees them now facing death and an uncertain future.

If this ban goes ahead, which breed will be next?  Presently Italy have over 90 breeds which are 'restricted', including collies and corgis.  Is this the way Ireland is heading?  Animal owners are being legislated out of existence.

That this decision could be reached so quickly in a country that has waited almost 100 years for updated animal protection legislation and over a year for regulations to control dog breeding speaks volumes.  It reinforces the perception that we are not a nation of animal lovers and have a long way to go before we can truly take our place among civilised countries.

We would call on all reasonable people to call on Dublin City Council to reconsider this ban and also to lobby the Minister for the Environment to ensure a nationwide ban is not implemented.  Details of councillors may be found on the lobby page  See also the ANVIL press release

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January, 2007

Recent media articles has led to discussion about tighter controls of certain breeds.  In Ireland we have the Control of Dogs (Restriction of Certain Dogs) Regulations, 1991, which specifies which breeds are affected by this legisaltion and what those controls are.

A brief summary is outlined below:

The current list:

Control of Dogs Regulations 1991

Section 4:

This article shall apply to every:

American Pit Bull Terrier

Bull Mastiff

Doberman pinscher

English Bull Terrier

German Shepherd (Alsation)

Japanese Akita

Japanese Tosa

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Rottweiler

Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and

to every dog of the type commonly known as the Ban Dog (or Bandog) and to every other strain or cross of every breed or type of dog described in this article

Basically these dogs can't be in a public place unless securely muzzled and led by a strong chain or leash not exceeding 2 metres and by a person over 16 who is capable of controlling the said dog.

Understandably there have been calls for a review of legislation to prevent tragedies from occuring here, but we would hope this is carried out in a measured and well informed way to prevent innocent animals and responsible owners suffering needlessly.