Inside the working day of a Tipperary dog warden - 'we've become a disposable society'

""Every day is completely different, so I turn on the phone just before eight o'clock every morning, listen to the messages that might have been left, if there's nothing immediately urgent - normally urgent would be one of the restricted breed of dogs, if they're out and about or someone has found one, that would be the first call.""

""A lot of dogs aren't microchipped, or are still chipped to the breeder, again, despite the fact that regulations now state that breeders have to keep details of who they've sold dogs to, a lot of the time they say 'I can't remember', or you might ring someone and they say 'oh no, I gave the dog away', so it sounds brilliant, but even if the dog does have a microchip, it's not necessarily easy," she said."

A dog warden works for a local authority handling varied daily tasks driven by stray dog reports. The day often begins before eight by checking messages, with priority given to sightings of restricted breeds such as pit bulls, Rhodesian ridgebacks, rottweilers, and German shepherds. Office duties include checking emails, logging complaints, and making routine calls, but fieldwork focuses on locating strays and transporting them promptly to the pound. Microchipped dogs can be reunited via the Fido database when ownership details are current. Many dogs lack chips or retain breeder registrations, and outdated records hinder reunification despite regulatory requirements.

Read at Irish Independent