Calls for a dog park in Kilkenny City receive universal support

Local Labour Party councillor, Sean Ó hArgain has requested Kilkenny County Council investigate the possibility of implementing a dog park in a city area, with his motion receiving unanimous support from city councillors. 

"The dog park facility in Dunmore Countryside Park which our council can be rightly proud of, has been a fantastic success and my own dogs enjoyed all their visits there," Cllr Ó hArgain told members at Friday's meeting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District. 

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"It allows dogs to socialise and play off their leads and also for owners to chat with each other, knowing that their pets are playing freely and safely," he continued.

"Many city dog owners, however, are not car owners and include young people and older citizens. They have asked me why a similar facility cannot be available in the city centre area. I would ask that we could look at places like the Canal Walk as a possibility for such a facility.

"Let us do all we can to ensure that no dog misbehaves anywhere else," Cllr Ó hArgain added.

The Labour councillor has also called for additional powers and resources to be provided to deal with dog fouling and inappropriate disposal of dog waste bags. 

"I feel strongly that as dog owners we have a fundamental set of responsibilities," Mr Ó hArgain remarked.

"We are obliged to leave home with enough dog bags to pick up after our pets when they do what is natural. We cannot use our parks, footpaths or roadways as their toilets. Doing so means endangering the health of adults and particularly children who visit those areas.

"Doing that after rolling accidentally through a dog’s faeces is unfair and dangerous. In the most extreme circumstances, people exposed to dog faeces around their eyes are in danger of contracting diseases like toxicara," Mr Ó hArgain remarked.

"It is simply not acceptable that having gone to the trouble of picking up a dog’s dirt that some people think it’s ok to hang the dog bag on a branch, fence or hedgerow.

We must enforce the law that dog owners must carry these bags to the next bin they meet or home to dispose of it in their rubbish bin," he said, adding, "wardens should also be empowered to deal with the dog dirt issue and take action against rule breakers. as it stands, the wardens must catch a dog and its owner in the act of defecating.

"The legislation must be strengthened to allow neighbours to report those who continuously break the rules and have real action taken," he concluded.

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