Almost 300 dogs put to sleep in NI in 2016

A total of 286 dogs have been put down by local authorities in Northern Ireland so far in 2016, according to a local survey.

The figures were released by the National Dogs Trust as a part of its Annual Dog Survey.

The Trust said that the numbers were down 30% from 409 compared to last year.

One of the other aspects highlighted in the survey was the fact that 3,262 stray dogs in Ulster were not claimed by their owners and left in council kennels between 2015 and 2016.

Of those dogs, only 1,534 were reported to have microchips, 28% of all strays seized.

Ronnie Milsop, Dogs Trust Campaigns Manager for Northern Ireland, said that although the figures were still high, he welcomed the drop.

“This year’s Stray Dog Survey shows good news for Northern Ireland,” he said.

“We work very closely with the Local Authorities who should be commended on their efforts to encourage responsible dog ownership through neutering, microchipping and education over the past year.

“Since compulsory microchipping was introduced in April 2012, we have seen a decline in the number of stray dogs picked up by local authorities which shows how important microchipping is in reducing the stray dog population.”