60 dogs and 18 horses seized by Tipperary County Council council as of April 2026

In their latest management report, Tipperary County Council reports that as of the end of April this year, there had been 60 dogs surrendered to or seized by dog wardens.

Of that number, 28 were sent to rescue, six were reclaimed by the owners, two were rehomed and another nine were put to sleep.

This number is slightly down on 2025, when 66 dogs were seized in the same time period.

The number of dog licences purchased in the county from January to the end of April was 2,590.

Meanwhile, between January 1 and May 15 there had been 17 reports of loose horses to Tipperary County Council. As a result, 18 horses were seized, all of whom have been rehomed since.

This again is slightly down on 2025, when 22 horses were seized in the same period.

In April, a motion by Cllr Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan for the council to establish an animal welfare committee was shot down, as the council replied that they have “no statutory mandate in the area of animal welfare” and such a move would need “agreements and consideration at a national stakeholder level”.

While at the time councillors were broadly supportive of the suggestion, there was some wondering if it would be surface-level talk and not truly effective. Recently, Mattie McGrath TD reintroduced legislation to the Dáil to empower local authorities, specifically in the area of sulky racing, to enforce a proposed national framework governing sulky racing on public roads. Under the proposed legislation, local authorities would be given powers to enforce the law, with penalties including fines up to €5,000 and in more serious cases, imprisonment.