Pet hates: Badgers can't be kept as pets by Tipperary council housing tenants

Tipperary County Council tenants must receive permission from the council before they an have a pet in their home, councillors have been told.

And badgers are definitely not allowed, Cllr Hughie McGrath was told at the November meeting of Nenagh Municipal District Council. 

The badger ban was confirmed during a discussion with the council's community liaison officers on keeping pets when Cllr McGrath said that he once knew of a person who kept a badger.

And not only are badgers banned, but tenants must seek permission to keep any pet or animals such as horses in their homes or on the property.

Concerns were raised by Cllr McGrath that the council might be too stringent when enforcing a no pet rule on tenants

The District Cathaoirleach was responding to a presentation by the community liaison officers regarding their work and how they engage with tenants and residents’ association.

CLO Helen Butler said that among the issues they deal with were anti-social behavior, tenant training, working with vulnerable tenants, estate management and operating the second chance programme for tenants.

Among what would be serious issues would be the keeping of animals, illegal structures, and succession of tenants where someone might become a tenant without the council’s permission, councillors were told.

The officers also check that proper waste disposal systems are in place.

“You need permission to have a dog,” councillors were told.

However, Cllr McGrath  said that while some people were afraid of certain types of dogs, and rightly so, he wouldn’t like to see a position where no dogs were allowed.

“It is good to have a connection to a pet,” said Cllr McGrath.

He also raised the issue of someone moving back into the house where they were born to care for an elderly parent.

“They may have been born there but moved away and they are coming back to their home, which then becomes a home for their young children who are often settled in schools. It is now their home,” he pointed out.

Cllr John Carroll didn’t want to discourage people from having a dog, but said that people needed to understand the welfare of animals.

“Dogs don’t bark for no reason. If a dog is always barking there can be an underlying issue,” he said.

Cllr Carroll also questioned if people were allowed to park mobile homes and caravans in their driveway.

“Residents’ associations were the key,” declared Cllr Ger Darcy, but he recognised that not everyone wanted to step up to take the lead in any association.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield queried if the council can give assistance to estates where there was no residents’ association.

“We need zero tolerance on waste disposal,” said Cllr John “Rocky” McGrath. “It is not nice for council staff to have to pick through other people’s rubbish. It is disgusting.”

Ms Butler told Cllr McGrath that there was no zero tolerance approach on pets, but they were just highlighting the need to get permission.

However, there were certain dog breeds that came under national law.

She said that in relation to succession, the council did not see everything in black and white but looked at cases on an individual basis. However, she said, the house belonged to the local authority and succession was not a guarantee.

In relation to waste disposal, Ms Butler said that every tenant was required to have a waste disposal set up.

The issues were also discussed at a meeting of the Thurles Templemore MD.