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TRALEE Municipal District councillors said dog owners need to exercise common sense and respect in relation to Rath Cemetery and greater deterrents are needed in relation to dog-fouling there.
At the meeting of the Tralee MD of Kerry County Council on Monday, Sinn Féin Cllr Cathal Foley asked Council management what are the regulations in relation to the control of dogs at Rath Cemetery.
Cllr Foley said he had received a message from a very upset person about a dog fouling on a grave of a relative in Rath.
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In reply, he was told the Kerry County Council Cemeteries Bye-laws 2018 prohibits dogs, with the exception of guide dogs, in Council-owned cemeteries.
Council management said their dog wardens and MD enforcement officers carry out inspections to ensure compliance and said arrangements would be made for increased inspections over the coming weeks.
Cllr Foley said unless the Council gets serious about fines and letting people know the dog wardens will be a presence there and issuing fines, it’s a waste of time trying to get people to comply.
Cllr Johnnie Wall (FF) said it was a difficult situation as he walks in the graveyard every day and sees dog owners who are not capable of going anywhere else to walk their dogs and witnesses them clean up after their pets.
Cllr Sam Locke (Ind) said it is disrespectful for any dog owner to enter the graveyard and take their dog off the lead and roam around. He agreed that there should be the deterrent of fines. Cllr Terry O’Brien (Lab) said dog owners should exercise common sense and respect in relation to the cemetery.
