A woman who was attacked by a dog in a house in Carlow town on Tuesday remains in a serious condition in hospital.
The woman, who is in her 50s, was airlifted to the Mater Hospital in Dublin after an attack by what is understood to be a pit bull terrier-type dog at approximately 2pm on Tuesday in the Ashfield estate.
The woman was attacked by one of her own dogs in her home, it is understood.
A vet who attended the scene believed that the dog was a restricted breed.
The dog was euthanised and the scene was preserved for technical examination.
Mayor of Carlow, Fine Gael councillor Paul Doogue, said that the people of Carlow’s thoughts and prayers are with the woman.
John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow Kilkenny, said that urgent reform of Ireland’s legislation around dog ownership is needed.
Dog wardens are currently woefully under resourced and need increased personnel and powers to enforce animal welfare legislation, he added.
A separate statutory agency could be established for animal welfare, which could bring all those working in the field under one roof, Mr McGuinness said.
He suggested that courses be established in higher education institutions to provide professional qualifications to dog trainers and anyone with a restricted breed should be mandated to take courses from these trainers to ensure they understand their dog and its needs.
Successful strategies around dog ownership implemented in other jurisdictions could be easily adopted in Ireland, he said.
Sweden, for example, operates a system which heavily encourages dog owners to bring their dogs to socialisation and obedience training.
It also has dog parks and designated areas throughout the country where dogs can be brought to socialise and run off-leash.
Legislation there specifically outlines how dogs must be housed, fed, and exercised and it confers strict liability on all owners for any damage done by their dog, whether negligent or not.
Mr McGuinness said he knows of a puppy farm case in which 120 French bulldogs were being kept in a small cottage, with the owner keeping another 120 dogs in another facility.
Despite authorities visiting and closing the puppy farm, Mr McGuinness said that when he checked recently, only one of the locations was closed, with the other still breeding dogs.