A dog rescue service based in Co Galway is joining with other Irish rescue services on World Animal Welfare Day in calling for action from the Government and at community level to halt what it calls the "surge in abandonment and surrender".
The results of a national census carried out by the Conamara-based charity MADRA – which stands for Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption - shows there are now over 3,000 dogs in shelters and pounds across Ireland.
In the village of Camus in the Conamara Gaeltacht, the service says it is experiencing a significant rise in the number of unwanted and abandoned dogs needing to be rehomed.
It says it reflects the situation across the country, which has reached a "crisis point".
MADRA says there are currently 3,227 dogs in pounds and local authority shelters in Ireland, with hundreds more on waiting lists for a space.
MADRA Operations Director Dawn Divilly says there are many contributing factors to the situation.
"The post-pandemic surge in abandonment and surrender continues. Dogs now at home on their own are under-socialised and can develop behavioural problems which owners can't handle," she said.
"The housing and cost-of-living crises further exacerbates this with families finding it increasingly difficult to care for their pets. Carelessness and refusal to spay female dogs contributes to a huge amount of unwanted litters, particularly with collies and lurchers.
"These dogs often languish in pounds and rescue centres for months as they are often overlooked by people who want a pet dog. Rescues are also seeing an increase in dogs being surrendered and abandoned with complex and expensive medical needs".
In recent years, there has been a 95% increase in the number of stray dogs entering dog pounds, as reported by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. In 2022, the number rose to 8,116 from 4,165 in the previous year.
MADRA says these statistics are a stark reminder of the urgency of the situation.
It is joining other Irish rescues on World Animal Welfare Day in calling for action from the Government and at community level to halt the "cycle of abandonment", and is urging the public to consider certain steps.
These include opting to adopt a dog from a rescue or shelter, in order to give a homeless dog a second chance at a loving home.
In addition, they urge people to spay and neuter so as to help control the population of homeless animals, as well as carefully consider and educate themselves on the commitment to dog ownership.
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Earlier, the Chief Executive of the ISPCA said an increase in puppy farms and a reduction in the number of people taking rescued dogs was contributing to the spike in dogs needing to be rehomed.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland Dr Cyril Sullivan said people returning to work post-pandemic, an increase in traffic and the lack of "pet-friendly travel options" was deterring people from rehoming dogs.
He said the ISPCA is now renting private shelters to house the number of dogs that do not have a home.
"Even though our kennels are full, we've rented private shelters around Ireland.
"So apart from our four pounds in Donegal, Longford, Cork and Wicklow we rent privately so we've incurred significant costs in doing that, which we hadn't budgeted for.
"We have significant increases that we're really struggling to cope with."
