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Licenses

South Dublin hands out more on-the-spot dog control fines than any other local authority

However, the majority were written off as the dog owners quickly secured licenses for their pets.

SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY Council handed out 1165 on-the-spot dog control fines last year – more than 10 times the national average.

The vast majority of these were cancelled just days after being issued, as those fined quickly secured dog licenses.

If a license is purchased within five days of being fined and presents it to the council within 10, the fine is cancelled.

Close to 95 per cent of the fines related to unlicensed dogs.

Across the county, 4,005 were issued, an increase of close to 500 in the number of fines handed out last year.

More than 1,400 of these were paid.

For those who didn’t pay up, they were 277 prosecutions, and 139 convictions.

More than half of these convictions were in Cork County, where 602 fines were issued.

Offences under the act include failure to buy a dog licence, stray dogs, no identification on a dog, failure to keep a dog under control, dog fouling and having a dog off the leash in prohibited areas.

These offences can result in fines ranging from around €30 to €2,500 and failure to pay could lead to prosecution in District Court and up to three months in prison.

Read: Over 3,500 dogs were put down by pounds last year >

Last year: 88 convictions for dog control offences in 2012 >

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