Twenty eight dogs were euthanized in the Donegal Dog Pound last year.
The figure is up from the 21 dogs that were put down in the county shelter in 2017.
The Donegal Dog Pound took in 356 dogs in 2018. 206 were stray dogs and 150 dogs were surrendered to the local authority shelter.
Seventy dogs that entered the pound were re-united with their owners and 37 were re-homed.
A further 215 dogs were transferred to dog welfare groups.
The latest 2018 dog control statistics published today show that 8,248 dog licences have been issued in Donegal.
Speaking on the statistics, Mr Seán Canney TD, the Minister of State for Community Development, Natural Resources and Digital Development said:
“I am pleased to announce that my Department has today published the 2018 dog control statistics in relation to certain dog control functions of local authorities. These include detail on the number of dog licences issued, the management of dog pounds and dog breeding establishments.
“These statistics also include details on the number of dogs entering local authority pounds, which I am pleased to note is decreasing year-on-year, down from a high of over 26,000 in 2002 to 9,961 in 2018. These statistics also include details on the number of dogs rehomed, transferred to welfare groups and euthanised.”
Minister Canney continued: “It is a legal requirement for all dog owners to have a dog licence and to have their dog micro-chipped. If a stray dog, which is micro-chipped, enters the local authority pound the microchip can be scanned and the dog easily re-united with its owner.”
Across Ireland, the total number of dogs that were euthanised in local authority pounds in 2018 was 778, down from a high of over 21,000 in 2002, 996 in 2017 and 1,674 in 2016.
The full dog control statistics report can be viewed here.