Tag Archives: Clare dog warden

THE number of dogs being surrendered to the pound has dropped by half in Clare over the last five years, new figures show. However, there were more dogs abandoned in this county in 2019 than almost every other. Only Tipperary saw a higher number of surrendered dogs last year. The number of dogs being put down, meanwhile, has seen a 12-fold drop in this county since 2015, largely down to greater cooperation between the dog control authorities and rescue organisations. Data released by the Department of Rural and Community Development show that a total of 182 dogs were voluntarily handed over the to the pound in Clare last year. The only county with a higher rate of surrenders, Tipperary, had 191 dogs given over to the pound in 2019. While still higher than the national average, the number of surrenders has been steadily decreasing in the last five years and is down from 393 in 2015. “The figures are still …

A FIVE-week-old puppy suffered extensive injuries and was dumped, before dying, in what Clare’s county dog warden has described as “one of the worst things I’ve seen”. The small black terrier was found by a young boy and had a broken back and two broken legs. The cold and wet animal had been thrown in a bush near Our Lady’s Hospital. Mr Coote was contacted and efforts were made to save the pup but he sadly died on the way to the vet. The dog warden believes that an attempt was made to deliberately kill the pup. “It’s terrible what was done. He was in a lot of pain. He had two broken back legs and his back was severed, you could clearly see it was broken. Fair play to the young boy for having the sense to bring him to us. It was traumatising and terrible for the pup but it was also terrible for that young boy to …

THREE Labrador pups are lucky to be alive after being cruelly thrown into a river. However, two more, probably from the same litter, did not have the same fortunate escape when their carcasses were found in the water weighed down with rocks. County dog warden Frankie Coote was called to the scene at Frure in Lissycasey earlier this week. It is believed that the culprit may have thrown the animals from the bridge under the cover of darkness, taking advantage of high waters following recent rain. He said that two of the pups were saved from certain death because they landed on a ledge by the river’s edge. The third managed to make its way out into a nearby field, where it was rescued by a local person who has kindly given the dog a good home. Following a search of the area, Mr Coote made the grim discovery of the decomposed carcasses of the other two pups. Mr Coote believes …

CLARE County Council is barking up the wrong tree if they take the operation of the county’s dog pound away from the ISPCA, animal welfare groups have warned. The county pound, located at the Gort Road Industrial Estate in Ennis, is currently being run by the ISPCA, with Frankie Coote as dog warden. However Clare County Council has put the operation of the pound out to tender. In just 24 hours, an online petition organised by the group Protecting Pound Dogs in Ennis County Clare has gained 1,000 signatures, with that figure continuing to grow. The petition is calling for the pound to remain in the hands of the ISPCA. Cork-based company Four Seasons Promotions Ltd, trading as ACS, is understood to be in the running for the tender to operate the county pound. However, Clare County Council insists that no decision has been made on the contract. A spokesperson for the council stated, “The tendering process has not yet …

EIGHT hunting dogs were shot dead in Broadford on Wednesday, following attacks on sheep on two farms. Clare dog warden, Frankie Coote has told The Clare Champion that the beagles and cross bred dogs were hunting under supervision but broke away and attacked sheep, killing two and injuring several more. “More than likely a deer brought them through the land and once they came on the young lambs,  this is the height of lambing season. Even supervised if they come on a deer, it can bring them anywhere. That’s what we believe happened. There are a lot of deer in O’Callaghan’s Mills and Broadford. The owner was with them when they lost them. This is unusual for hunting dogs to do this but all dogs will do it,” Mr Coote explained. “There was two farms. One farmer was alerted and he went to his farm. Four of them were shot attacking the sheep. Then they went up to check the …

CLARE County Dog Warden, Frankie Coote has described his discovery of a dying German Shepherd in West Clare on Monday as the worst incident of animal neglect he has had to deal with in his 23-year association with the ISPCA. On the back of an anonymous call, accompanied by Garda Seán Kelly from Kilrush Garda Station, Mr Coote called to the house, behind which the stricken dog lay. “I thought the dog was dead for a considerable amount of time. As I went to examine the dog and take some photographs of what I thought was a carcass, I then discovered that the dog was able to move its head and could look up at me,” he revealed. “The dog had been alive and he had been eaten by maggots and rodents.We reckon the dog had been lying on its side for six to eight weeks, without food or water. Poignantly, the stricken animal appeared to thank the dog warden …