Gardaí go to court to have ‘vicious’ XL bully dog that is running free and has bitten people seized or put down

At Ennis District Court, Sgt Noelle Bergin said she was seeking an order for the destruction of the dog or an order allowing the seizure of the dog.

Sgt Bergin told Judge Alec Gabbett: “There are allegations on two occasions that this dog has bitten members of the public and he has been running freely on the public roads during May and up to June 19.”

She told the court the owner of the dog, Michael Geraghty of Ballinalackin, Lisdoonvarna, is not complying with the directions of Clare county dog warden Frankie Coote.

The garda said she served Mr Geraghty with a garda application last Saturday and Mr Geraghty was told the matter would be dealt with before Ennis District Court.

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“He told me that he would be here,” Sgt Bergin said.

However, there was no appearance in court by Mr Geraghty.

“Our problem is that the dog is residing in a house and the dog warden doesn’t have the power to take this dog from a house,” Sgt Bergin said.

“I am seeking an order for the destruction of the dog or an order giving the dog warden the power to remove the dog.”

Five members of the public were in court to provide sworn evidence in support of the garda application.

In evidence, Mr Coote told the court the dog is named Ghost.

“He is huge. A very, very vicious, very dangerous dog,” Mr Coote said.

“I have had at least six complaints of the dog attacking people, two or three times biting people.

“I first became aware of the dog last year running loose on the road, so I went up and cautioned the owner and got him to put the dog under control.

“He then tied the dog to a trailer of rubbish, so I then had welfare concerns for the dog. I removed the dog last year and I gave it back to him on condition that he would look after him, but then the dog started to roam.”

Mr Coote said he told people who made complaints to him about the dog to make formal complaints to gardaí “or I could not act”.

He said he microchipped Ghost and registered him to the owner “on the advice that he would have to keep the dog under control, but within four days the dog was out on the road again”.

“His owner is not complying with me in any form or manner. I have never met him – it is all phone calls, notes or sending other people. He won’t comply with me at all,” he told the court.

Judge Gabbett said Mr Geraghty has a right to be heard if he wishes to come to court before the dog is destroyed.

“That is the right thing to do. He is entitled to be heard,” the judge said.

Sgt Bergin told Judge Gabbett there was an issue with service of the application and the judge told her she was free to make a similar application at a future court sitting. Sgt Bergin said it was also open to the gardaí to obtain a search warrant of the property and an application could be made to court for such a warrant.