DAERA minister hits back at UUP over dog euthanasia policy criticism - saying it is 'a last resort'
Stormont’s agriculture minister has hit back at Ulster Unionist criticism that his new animal welfare strategy does not address the issue of councils euthanising “healthy dogs”.
A UUP MLA says the fact that the plans do not deal with the “appalling practice of euthanising healthy dogs just five days after they are not reclaimed” is disappointing.
But Alliance minister Andrew Muir has told the News Letter that councils have advised him that “euthanising a stray dog is a last resort and only occurs it is not possible to rehome a dog, because it has an illness or injury from which it is not likely to recover, is aggressive or has been involved in attacks”.
Mr Muir has previously said that he does not want to take powers away from councils on the issue.
The latest row comes as he launches a three year strategy to “protect domestic and farmed animals” in Northern Ireland – a policy which he says “can practicably be achieved” in the rest of this Assembly mandate.
While describing the strategy as a “welcome step”, North Antrim MLA Colin Crawford has criticised the minister for not addressing the “deeply troubling” issue of healthy dogs being put to sleep within five days if they are not reclaimed.
The UUP MLA told the News Letter: “This issue was recently raised in a motion we brought before the Assembly, though regrettably, the Alliance Party attempted to remove any mention of it.
“This is a deeply troubling issue that cannot be ignored if we are serious about improving animal welfare”.
A recent Ulster Unionist motion in the Assembly expressed alarm at the policy. However, during the debate this month, Minister Muir criticised the UUP motion – suggesting that only 4% of dogs were euthanised. He said those were cases where it was “the only course of action” – such as where the dog couldn’t be rehomed because of illness, or where it is aggressive or involved in attacks.
The minister said euthanasia is “not the immediate response” and said councils and their dog wardens “have worked tirelessly to build contacts with communities, and, crucially, with rescue and rehoming centres.
“Indeed, each council has strong relationships with rescue and rehoming centres. In fact, some council pounds are operated by rescue organisations.
“Each of the 11 councils has advised my Department that the preferred course of action is to find a new home for unclaimed stray dogs. In the 2023-24 reporting period, the 11 councils impounded almost 3,000 stray dogs.
“Of those dogs, 40% were returned to the owner or reclaimed; 43% were passed to animal shelters; 13% were rehomed directly, sold or moved on by the council pounds; and only 4% were, sadly, euthanised. It is regrettable that any dog has to be euthanised, but councils have informed my Department that there are some situations in which that is, sadly, the only course of action”.
The DAERA minister said he disagreed with the UUP motion’s suggestion that he should “intervene and remove the decision-making powers from councils”.
The latest UUP criticism of the minister’s position on the euthanasia of dogs came after the DAERA minister published an “ambitious 10-point plan to improve animal welfare through a series of impactful reforms”.
He described the ‘Animal Welfare Pathway – Advancing Animal Welfare in Northern Ireland 2025-27’ as a “radical plan which focusses on strengthening animal welfare of companion and farmed animals through enhanced legislation and new initiatives”.
Mr Crawford said the plan is “undoubtedly a welcome step, particularly as many of the measures included reflect proposals the Ulster Unionist Party has campaigned for”.
He added: “However, one notable omission is the lack of a standardised baseline approach to animal welfare enforcement across all councils — a change that is essential if we are to address the ongoing inconsistencies in how animal welfare is upheld across Northern Ireland”.
The plan will:
- reform laws to prohibit third-party pet sales;
- launch an expert-led review of current dog breeding laws;
- examine the case for mandatory microchipping of cats;
- strengthen microchipping requirements for dogs;
- launch a campaign promoting animal welfare requirements and highlight the need for responsible dog ownership;
- consider of licensing of day-care and home-boarding for dogs and cats;
- review dog licence fees;
- examine the evidence for prohibition on aversive training devices;
- regulate rescue and rehoming organisations;
- require CCTV use in all areas of slaughterhouses where animals are kept.