In common with many parts of the State, the city and county of Waterford are trying to cope with a canine population explosion which is stretching the dog control service to its limit.
The county council has warned that enforcement procedures, including on-the-spot fines of £25, will be enforced to combat the problem caused by uncontrolled dogs.
Recent statistics show that 952 dogs were impounded in the county last year, an increase of 26 per cent on the number in 1995. Only 71 were reclaimed by their owners, 99 were found new homes and the remainder were put down.
"There is a huge surplus of dogs at the moment," says Ms Angela McCarthy, chairwoman of the ISPCA and secretary of the local branch of the society.
She detects a spreading irresponsibility and laziness on the part of many dog-owners. "People are terribly careless about the reproductive end of things for their pets. They seem to think it's an act of God. They find themselves with a litter of pups, then it's into the pound with them and out of sight, out of mind."
This attitude is widespread even though people are well aware that neutering is possible. The result is a huge population of unwanted dogs, overloading of the control services, and an unnecessary and undesirable level of culling. Ms McCarthy says some 22,000 dogs are put down in the State every year.
The ISPCA believes that advertising has a lot to answer for in prompting spurious "fashions" for particular breeds by using them to market anything from toilet paper to pet food.
The dog pound in Waterford is inundated with animals coming in while very few are going out. For the dog control service, rehoming is very time-consuming because, under its meticulous regulations and conditions, many visits by inspectors to the new home are necessary.
There are visits before and after a trial period. Then there are "adoption papers", a re-homing agreement. A condition is that if the new owners have to get rid of the dog it is returned to the service.
The present dog-licence fee of £5, says the association, does not adequately reflect the responsibility involved in taking on a pet, and it is hoping it will be increased.
Yet, according to wardens and all others involved, the most important measure needed is compulsory registration. This would involve implanted microchips identifying the animal and its owners, and the ISPCA is campaigning to have this introduced. "It's the only way we can get people to take responsibility," says Ms McCarthy.
Meanwhile, the county council, in conjunction with Waterford Corporation, operates the dog control unit in Waterford city on a shared basis and makes a direct contribution to the ISPCA, which manages the unit.
With a growing incidence of serious problems caused to people and livestock by uncontrolled dogs, the council plans to enforce licensing provisions, a policy which should also permit a more realistic contribution to the cost of providing the dog control service.
Licence fees and on-the-spot fines last year raised some £14,000 toward the cost of the service, but the council's direct contribution to the ISPCA was £27,000.
In a further measure to fund the service, revised charges have now been introduced. To reclaim a seized dog costs £25, plus kennel fees of £8 for the first day and £3 per day thereafter. To rehome a dog costs £20, plus the licence fee. Collection of unwanted dogs costs £5 per dog.
The ISPCA is trying to deal with the population explosion by implementing a pilot scheme under which every animal that arrives at the pound is spayed.