Kilkenny dog shelter 'now closed'

Carlow-Kilkenny Dog Shelter would like to advise the public that the shelter is 'now closed' until they can re-home dogs or owners reclaim dogs that are currently in their care.

"We can no longer accept any more stray dogs as we have now reached maximum capacity and have no kennel space left," the shelter said in a statement.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused but we have to prioritise the care and safety of the dogs currently at the shelter."

The shelter has seen a rise in every type of dog being surrendered or abandoned recently.

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Most are aged 12 to 18 months, the Covid puppies that were adopted during lockdowns.

Now that the peak of Covid has passed and people are returning to work, dogs are being abandoned at an increasing rate.

To date this year, the shelter near Paulstown has rehomed or, has had through their hands, 220 dogs. 

Gillian Henderson who has worked at the shelter for over four years, says: “The last six to nine months it's just gone out of control.”

Currently, due to the volume of dogs, the shelter is only accepting abandoned or stray dogs.

No surrenders are being accepted.

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At maximum capacity they can care for 20 dogs, 22 in an emergency.

Recently they had a group of five dogs found abandoned together.