Laois dog wardens to go door to door in Portlaoise checking dog licences
Dog owners in Portlaoise can expect a knock on the door to check if they have licences for their furry friends.
Laois Dog Pound, under new management of Midland Animal Care, is continuing its rollout of door to door checks in Laois to see who has dog licences.
Already having checked in Portarlington, Mountrath, Mountmellick and Clonaslee, dog wardens are next hitting the biggest Laois town of Portlaoise.
“We will be carrying out dog licence checks in Portlaoise and surrounding areas over the coming weeks. Please have your licence ready for inspection. Licences can be purchased at your local Post Office or online at www.licences.ie”
Dog owners can buy a licence at any post office or online at www.licences.ie
An annual dog licence costs €20, valid for a year. A lifetime Dog Licence costs €140.
Legal requirements for dog owners include that all dogs must now wear an ID tag attached to their collar, showing the name and address of the owner.
All dogs must be kept under effectual control and accompanied at all times in public places. Restricted breeds must wear a muzzle and be on a short lead, led by someone aged over 16 years. When walking dogs near livestock, they must always be kept on a lead.
Laois is home to thousands of dogs, but only a fraction have licences, statistics show.
In 2024, the number of dogs licenced in the whole of Ireland was just over 200,000, with about 4,000 dogs licenced in Laois, which has a human population of over 90,000. About 100 lifetime dog licences were issued in Laois that year.