A dog park would cost Laois County Council just €5,000 to install, the monthly meeting of Laois County Council heard.
Cllr Noel Tuohy had a motion before the meeting asking the council to provide “a suitable green area designated as a dog park where dog owners can safely exercise their pets”.
He was recently approached by a group of people with a petition of over 500 names, gathered over the space of only a few days requesting that a suitable area be allocated for the provision of a dog park.
He said Kildare County Council is backing a proposal for a do park in Naas.
“Portlaoise is now the biggest town in the midlands and I believe it warrants a designated area for this,” Cllr Tuohy said.
Having spoken to councillors in Kildare, Cllr Tuohy said the figure for providing such a park is around €5,000.
“This is relatively low cost and can be based on the model in Clondalkin and Lucan,” he said. “They are bordered by trees and are very attractive,” he said.
Having been concerned about the threat of some larger dog breeds, Cllr Tuohy noted that there was a fatality in Galway recently.
“One of the pluses of the park would be to take dogs off the street. People can bring them into a dog run where they can exercise, with strict guidelines,” he said.
Using an area in the grounds of St Fintan’s Hospital in Portlaoise, in conjunction with the HSE, has been looked at, Cllr Tuohy said.
It could also be done in the main park in the town, he said.
Response
A response from council officials to the motion, said it could be looked at by the Transport SPC.
“I would have sand instead of a green area,” Cllr Willie Aird said.
He also raised concerns over people owning dogs which are classed as dangerous breeds.
“For elderly people, their dog is their greatest companion,” Cllr Aird said.
A dog park would give them a place to bring their pet, he said.
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