Control of Dogs Act, 1986
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Powers of dog wardens. |
16.—(1) A dog warden may— | |
(a) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that a person is committing, or has committed, an offence under this Act or under any regulation or bye-law made thereunder, request of the person his name and address and may request that any information given be verified; | ||
(b) seize any dog and detain it in order to ascertain whether an offence under this Act is being or has been committed and may enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purposes of such seizure and detention; | ||
(c) enter any premises (other than a dwelling) for the purpose of preventing or ending— | ||
(i) an attack by a dog on any person, or | ||
(ii) the worrying of livestock; | ||
(d) enter any premises (other than a dwelling)— | ||
(i) which are registered in accordance with regulations made under section 19 of this Act, or | ||
(ii) where he has reasonable grounds for believing that more than five dogs which are aged over four months are kept, | ||
and therein examine such dogs as he may find there and the kennels or part of the premises in which the dogs are kept; | ||
(e) request any person who owns, is in charge of, or is in possession of a dog to produce, as the case may be, a dog licence or a general dog licence, within ten days of the date of the request, for examination by the dog warden. | ||
(2) A dog warden, in exercising a power of entry into any premises under this Act, may bring with him into such premises such other persons as he believes to be necessary for the purpose of assisting him in the exercise of his powers and functions under this Act and the dog warden and any such other person may take with them into the premises such equipment as they consider to be necessary. | ||
(3) Any person who— | ||
(a) obstructs or impedes a dog warden in the exercise of his functions under this Act, or | ||
(b) refuses to give his name and address to a dog warden when requested so to do, or who gives a name or address which is false or misleading when so requested, | ||
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to— | ||
(i) in case the offence is an offence under paragraph (a) of this subsection, a fine not exceeding £500, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or, at the discretion of the court, to both such fine and such imprisonment, or | ||
(ii) in case the offence is an offence under paragraph (b) of this subsection, a fine not exceeding £100. | ||
(4) Where a member of the Garda Síochána is of opinion that a person is committing or has committed an offence under this section, he may arrest the person without warrant. |