Fingal County Council urged to address Ashton Pound controversy

Fingal County Council has been called on to urgently address the issue surrounding Ashton Dog Pound and its contract with the controversial shelter in Ashtown.

Earlier this month it was announced that a veterinarian at the pound, the pound’s owner and three staff members are to stand trial on animal cruelty charges.

The prosecution follows a Garda investigation which began in July last year after accusations of using unauthorised veterinary drugs to sedate and euthanise dogs were made against the pound.

Five dead dogs were removed from the shelter for an autopsy following a Garda search last summer.

Independent councillor Tania Doyle is now calling on the council to hold a special meeting to discuss the matter and address its contract with the pound.

Ashton Dog Pound had previously held contracts with all four Dublin county councils for the provision of dog shelter services but have come under pressure to not renew those contracts.

However, the local authorities, including Fingal County Council, have struggled to find a suitable replacement shelter after issuing a contract for tender.

“Recently a number of members of staff and management at Ashton Pound were charged with a number of offences relating to the care and shelter of dogs taken into charge on behalf of Fingal County Council,” said Doyle.

“Although charges have been made, I am cognisant that no person or persons have been found guilty of any offence at this time.

“Fingal County Council recently went back to the market requesting expressions of interest and a tender request was issued shortly thereafter, no party met the qualifying criteria,” she says.

Doyle says she asked all elected councillors “for their support” and to come together in a “non-partisan manner” to hold an urgent special meeting.

“Within this special meeting I call for the Chief Executive to brief the elected members on how the local authority intend to proceed given the current uncertainty.

“I do now more than ever believe that as a local authority Fingal County Council must, and I have been consistently lobbying for this, without prejudice and for a temporary period until a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is formally set in place with an approved applicant, no longer house any dogs within the facility referred to as “Ashton Pound”,” Doyle said.

The Ongar councillor also says that Fingal County Council should develop and operate its own dog pound, ceasing the need to outsource the service, as it “it will provide for greater and direct oversight by the elected members.”

“Now more than ever Fingal County Council must make provision for the planning, construction and operation of a control and shelter facility to be under its own control and administration,” she said.

Due to the council failing to find a shelter that fulfils all of the relevant criteria, its contract with Ashton Dog Pound has been extended for one month.

“In the interim, Ashton remains the sole supplier of services for the control and shelter of dogs on behalf of the Local Authority,” said Doyle.

In a statement to Dublin People, Fingal County Council said: “The future provision of a dog shelter service for Fingal is currently under review following a recent procurement process.

“The council anticipates a successful conclusion to this process in the coming weeks and expects to announce details of the future service in mid-September.

“In recent months there has been a very limited demand for dog shelter services within the county and there are no dogs from Fingal in Aston Dog Pound.”