The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 place a statutory responsibility for dog control and licensing services on local authorities. Under these Acts, Roscommon County Council has the power to appoint dog wardens, to provide shelters for stray and other dogs, to impose on-the-spot fines for a number of offences and to take court prosecutions. Roscommon County Council’s Policy on Control of Dogs and Dog Breeding Establishments was adopted on 25th April 2016.
The Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 places a statutory responsibility for the welfare and breeding of greyhounds on Bord na gCon and the Irish Coursing Club.
Roscommon County Council has entered a contract to manage dog control services within the county, since January 2015. The Dog Pound located at Rockfield, Roscommon is a shelter for the acceptance, detention, and disposal of stray and unwanted dogs.
The Pound is staffed by a Kennel Assistant and is open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 11.00am – 2.00pm. The Dog Warden and Kennel Assistant are authorised officers under the Control of Dogs legislation and Dog Breeding Establishment legislation.
Microchipping of dogs
In September 2019 Roscommon County Council organised a microchipping day.
To further promote the microchipping of dogs, a dog licence plus microchip implantation may be purchased at Roscommon Dog shelter for a fee of €25.
Microchipping by appointment only.
Availability 11:30am-2pm Monday to Friday,
Roscommon Dog shelter, Clooneenbaun, Oran, Roscommon, F42 FX66
Contact no 09066-62992 /rosdogshelter@gmail.ie / Facebook @roscommondogshelter
Dog owner documentation required:
- Photographic proof of identity
- Proof of address
Do I need a Dog Licence?
If you have a dog over 4 months old, you are legally required to have a licence for the dog. Guide dogs for the blind and dogs that are in the country for less than 30 days do not require licensing.
Please find below a table of the different dog licence types, costs and where the licence can be purchased.
Dog Licence Fees:
Type of Dog Licence | Description | Cost | Where to purchase Licence |
Individual Dog Licence | Licence for one dog which must be renewed annually | €20 | Online (See instructions below) or at any Post Office |
Lifetime Dog Licence | Licence for the lifetime of the dog | €140 | Online (See instructions below) or at any Post Office |
General Dog Licence | Licence entitling a person to keep an unspecified number of dogs - must be renewed annually | €400 | Roscommon County Council |
To purchase a licence online please follow the following steps:
By clicking on the link for the required licence type, you will be brought to
Licences.ie and asked to sign in or register for an account to continue.
If you do not already have an account, select Register and complete the short registration form and click the Register button.
You will receive an Account Activation email. Click on the Activate button in this email. You will be brought directly to the application form you selected.
Complete the form. Please note all compulsory fields, marked with a red asterisk, must be completed before you can pay for and submit your application.
When you submit the form and pay you will receive a confirmation email notification.
Your licence should issue to you by post within 10 working days.
A copy of your application is available to view by clicking My Applications.
Charges that apply to all dogs reclaimed or re-homed:
Cost of re-claiming a restricted breed | €100 + Kennel Charge |
Cost of re-claiming a dog | €10 (if already have dog licence but no microchip) + Kennel Charge |
Cost of re-claiming a dog | €30 ( if no dog licence or micro-chip) + Kennel Charge |
Cost of re-homing | €50 (includes micro-chipping, primary vaccination and dog licence) This charge will be waived to approved welfare organisations |
Surrender Fee | €50 per dog |
Kennel Charge | €15 per day from 2nd day onwards |
Roscommon County Council will re-home a restricted breed to an approved welfare organisation only, following an assessment by Pound management.
Dog Fouling
Under Section 22 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, it is an offence for an owner/person in charge of a dog to allow a dog to foul in a public place. The owner/person in charge of the dog is required under this law to remove dog faeces and dispose of it in a suitable, sanitary manner.
Dog Breeding Establishments
The Dog Breeding Establishments Act 2010 came into force on 1 January 2012. Owners and operators of all dog breeding establishments should strive to achieve the highest possible standards. All dog breeders who have six or more breeding bitches must apply to Roscommon County Council to have their premises inspected and registered. All dog breeding establishments must meet certain minimum criteria in respect of hygiene, structure, welfare, worming, vaccination and record keeping.
Dog breeders should contact dogcontrol@roscommoncoco.ie to arrange an inspection of their premises.
Registration fees are as follows:
6 – 18 Bitches | €400 |
19 – 30 Bitches | €800 |
31 – 100 Bitches | €1,600 |
101 – 200 Bitches | €3,000 |
Guidelines for DBEs
The following documents below contain information on the licensing application process and protocols for the management and control of XL Bully and other large type dogs.
Appendix-1.2---Application-Certificate-of-Exemption---Guidelines-Only.docx-Copy.pdf (size 178.4 KB)
Appendix-11---XL-Bully-Type-Physical-Conformation-Standard.docx-Copy-1.pdf (size 503.2 KB)
Application-Form-For-Certificate-of-Exemption---Form-Only.docx-Copy.pdf (size 190.5 KB)
Veterinary-Confirmation-of-Neutering-Status-Form.docx-Copy.pdf (size 333 KB)
Contact Details
Corporate Services Section,
Roscommon County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
Roscommon,
County Roscommon, F42 VR98
Telephone: (090) 6637100
E-mail: corporateservices@roscommoncoco.ie or dogcontrol@roscommoncoco.ie
