Table 5 Brief description and evaluation of existing potential data sources for estimating the Irish pet dog population and the movement of dogs to and from Ireland

 Dog licencing and registration database

Legislative requirement for dog owners to purchase a dog licence either for individual dogs greater than 4 months of age (annual, €20; lifetime, €140) or for multiple dogs (general, €400 each year). Annual and general licences must be renewed yearly. Data is collected by An Post which gives access to each local authority within the Department of Rural and Community Development.

Data collected:

• Applicants: Name, age, address, Eircode, phone number and e-mail.

• Dog: Name, sex, microchip status and number if present, colour and breed.

Characteristics of information:

Database contains information on the annual number of:

• New individual dog licences issued.

• Individual dog licences renewed.

• Lifetime dog licences issued (for the duration of the dog’s life).

• General licences (for multiple dogs) issued.

• General licences (for multiple dogs) renewed.

Representativeness of dog population: Low.

a. Not a one-to-one relationship between number of licences issued and number of dogs in Ireland since

i. No way to know if licence non-renewal represents non-compliance or death of dog as death information is not collected.

ii. The number of dogs for which a general licence applies is not recorded.

iii. A priori excludes dogs younger than 4 months old, dogs housed by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) or Gardaí, currently possessed by a local authority, sight dogs for the blind and dogs imported into the State for less than 30 days.

b. Compliance is not enforced and percentage compliance unknown.

Accuracy of information: Uncertain.

• Data provided by applicant’s self-report, no verification of accuracy of dog(s) date of birth, sex, breed or address (mailed in or online).

• No microchip requirement for dog(s) prior to licence application. Identity of dog cannot be determined.

Suggestion:

• Requirement of microchip number prior to issuing of licence.

• Linkage with the following data sources.

• Dog identification data (via microchip number).

• Local authority dog control statistics.

 Dog microchipping and identification data

Legislative requirement that all dogs be micro-chipped and registered in a dog identification database by 12 weeks of age, or before they leave the property on which they are born (whichever comes earlier). Currently in Ireland, there are four DAFM-approved microchip databases, each sharing data with EuroPetNet (http://www.europetnet.com).

Data collected:

• Applicant (or possessor of dog): Name, address, contact details.

• Dog: Date of birth, breed, colour and markings, sex, address of premises of residence, microchip number and date of insertion, date and cause of death (if relevant), date lost (if relevant).

• Additional information: Identity of person inserting microchip.

Characteristics of information:

Four databases give yearly and total information on the dogs that have had a microchip inserted and have been registered.

Representativeness of dog population: Unknown.

• Compliance not enforced. Percent compliance unknown.

Accuracy of information: Variable.

• Microchip information - likely high as this can only be undertaken by specified trained individuals

• Identification of person claiming ownership/possession – potentially high - Requires official identification (passport, driver’s licence or identification issued by the Gardaí [the Irish police]) but depends on enforcement.

• Date of birth, colour, breed, sex of dog and address of dog – likely high - Microchip insertion done in the context of veterinary clinics done by a veterinary surgeon, veterinary nurse or another trained professional.

• Information on death and/or loss of dog - Uncertain - this depends on owner compliance.

• Change in ownership – not enforced or recorded automatically.

• Duplication – dog might be registered in more than one of the databases under different names due to change of ownership, lack of updating and non-linkage between them.

Suggestion:

• The four dog identification databases should be linked to each other or to a central government database resulting in each microchip number being linked to one and only one Irish owner/address.

• The dog licensing database should be linked to the dog identification databases to ensure consistency and verification of recorded information.

• The dog identification should be linked with local authority databases which contain information on dogs strayed, surrendered and seized, rehomed, euthanised etc.

 Dog controls statistics

These data are published annually by the Department of Rural and Community Development (https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/879d4c-dog-control-statistics/).

Data published:

• Numbers of strayed, surrendered and seized dogs.

• Numbers of dogs reclaimed, rehomed, and transferred to welfare groups.

• Number of dog deaths (including euthanized dogs).

Characteristics of information

Database contains information on the annual number of dogs that are possessed by the local authorities including information of the movement of dogs in and out of the local authorities. Thus, it provides information on pet dogs not under the control of a private owner:

• The number of stray, surrendered and seized dogs.

• The number of re-homed/reclaimed dogs.

• The number of dogs transferred to welfare organisations.

Representative of dog population: Low, but likely possibly representative of pet dog population not under control of private owners.

Accuracy of information: Likely variable.

• Dependant on accuracy of data gathering mechanisms of local authorities.

• Dependant on timeliness of data gathering mechanisms of local authorities.

Data published:

• Individual dog licence.

• A lifetime licence (for the duration of the dog’s life).

• A general licence (for multiple dogs).

Characteristics of information:

Database contains information on the annual number of:

• Individual dog licences (online and in person) issued.

• Lifetime dog licences issued (for the duration of the dog’s life).

• General licences (for multiple dogs) issued.

Representativeness of dog population and accuracy of information: See previous comments on dog licensing database.

Suggestion:

• Link database to both dog identification and dog licensing databases. This will enhance the accuracy of the dog identification and dog licensing databases as this will allow one to determine and update both with regards to deaths and losses of dogs.

 Pet passport data

In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 576/2016:

1. Each dog must be identified by a microchip, or by a tattoo applied before 3 July 2011.

2. A valid EU pet passport, issued by a private veterinary practitioner (PVP), is required for movement of dogs throughout the EU.

Passports are required both for commercial and non-commercial movements of dogs into and out of Ireland.

Characteristics of information:

This database records the annual number of pet passports issued to private PVPs yearly.

Representativeness of dog population: Low.

• The number of passports issued to PVDs is not a reflection of the number of passports issued by the PVP.

Accuracy of information: Low.

• No information in the database on the dogs for which passports have been issued.

Suggestion:

• Request data from private veterinary practitioners on dogs for which pet passports have been issued monthly. At a minimum, the microchip number of each dog issued a passport should be reported to DAFM.

 Dog movements data (from the European Commission)

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is the online platform of the European Commission to facilitate sanitary and phytosanitary certification of animals, animal products, food and feed and plants, into the EU, for intra-EU trade and EU exports.

Characteristics of information

These data capture the yearly number of dogs that are commercially exported to EU member States.

Representativeness of dog population: Low, as data reflects movements where certification is required, including the commercial movement of dogs between EU Member States (e.g., private operators or charities selling or supplying dogs for re-homing). Thus, it is representative for that subset of dogs requiring certification.

• Does not capture pets travelling with owners from Ireland to another EU Member State because animal health certification is not required.

• Inaccurate to the extent that certification might be required but not sought.

Accuracy of information: Very high, as dogs registered on the TRACES database must have a microchip and a pet passport and must come from establishments registered with DAFM.

 Dog movements data (from commercial enterprises)

Data are collected by commercial organisations, including airlines and ferry companies, as part of their commercial operations. These data are not linked to TRACES.

Characteristics of information:

The data contain heterogeneously collected records of inward movements of dog to Ireland.

Representativeness of dog population: Low.

• Reporting reliant on owner compliance.

• Reporting varies with the commercial operator.

• Reporting various with port of entry. Further, commercial and non-commercial movements are not distinguished. These data relate solely to inward movements.

Accuracy of information: Very low.

• Entirely reliant on owner compliance.

• Not verified.

Suggestion:

• Requirement that all dogs entering the country be declared at the port of entry.