FIANNA Fáil councillor Catherine Slattery has sought answers from Limerick City and County Council in relation to cases of animal cruelty where an animal is left abandoned for weeks in terrible conditions.
“Whose jurisdiction is it to seize the dogs and place them in a safe environment?” Cllr Slattery asked at the local authority’s May monthly meeting of the Metropolitan District meeting.
The City East representative also wanted to know who pays for an animal’s care and where it is placed after it has been rescued.
Cllr Slattery was informed that, under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013, the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine has primary policy responsibility for the welfare of all animals.
“Since the introduction of the Act, over 1,000 Department officials have been designated as authorised officers under the Act and their responsibilities include the enforcement of animal welfare legislation provided for under the Act,” Senior Engineer at Limerick City and County Council’s Environment and Climate Action Directorate, Aidan Finn explained.
“The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine’s authorised officers in Limerick are based in the Limerick Regional Veterinary Office. An Garda Síochána are also authorised officers under the Act.”
Mr Finn further explained to Cllr Slattery at the Metropolitan District meeting that “the Department can recover the costs associated with housing a seized animal as part of legal proceedings following a seizure. The Council do not seize animals under the Animal Health and Welfare Act.”
