Seven dogs were destroyed in the last financial year in Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs produces annual statistics to compare the number of dogs humanely destroyed by each council in Northern Ireland, after straying, abandonment or dangerous behaviour.

When asked for the reasons why dogs were destroyed in the district, a Fermanagh and Omagh District Council spokesman said

“Fermanagh and Omagh District Council operates a robust rehoming policy for unwanted and stray dogs which is delivered in partnership with two local animal welfare shelters. This partnership has resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of dogs which were humanely destroyed from 69 in 2017/18 to 7 in 2019/20. The Council will continue to strive to work with its partner organisations to rehome as many dogs as possible.”

“The humane destruction of a dog is a means of last resort when a dog is deemed unsuitable for rehoming.”

Across Northern Ireland figures for the council districts varied. Mid Ulster had a figure of 17 dogs , Antrim and Newtownabbey reported a figure of 13 dogs ; Lisburn and Castlereagh reported 12 dogs; Mid and East Antrim had nine dogs destroyed in the council area. Causeway Coast and Glens reported six dogs destroyed; Belfast City Council reported four dogs destroyed while Derry and Strabane District had the lowest number of dogs destroyed across Northern Ireland, reporting three dogs destroyed.