A man has been warned to keep his pooch under control after gardai received complaints it has been running around a housing estate by itself during the day and jumping on local children.
Ray Moriarty with an address at 14 Cluain Dara, Ballymoneen Road, Knocknacarra, was summoned to appear at Galway District Court last Monday where he pleaded guilty to being the owner of a dog and allowing it to be in a public place while not being accompanied or under effectual control, contrary to Section 9 of the Control of Dogs Act 1986, at Cluain Dara on April 4 and May 21, 2009.
According to Garda evidence, a local resident has been having on-going problems with a dog, a medium sized black labrador cross, which is being left outside in the daytime. The dog was also chasing local children and would scare them by jumping on top of them.
Responding to the complaint a garda officer caught the dog on August 5, 2008, and brought it to the defendant’s house. The defendant was cautioned and told not to let the dog out of the house unsupervised. However further complaints were received and the defendant was cautioned again. The court then heard that the dog is still being let out by itself.
Moriarty told Judge Mary Fahy that the dog had a good temperment and that he was brought out for walks regularly. He also said that he has fitted “a bigger and stronger gate” and that the dog is kept under control.
Judge Fahy said that she did not like neighbours to be fighting over dogs. She strongly urged Moriarty to give an undertaking to keep his dog under control and away from children. Judge Fahy also asked for the community garda to become involved. The case was then adjourned to February 17 next year.
