PROPOSED PETITION TEXT Not yet open
To the Government and the Oireachtas
No dog should spend its life on a chain.
Scout lived chained in a cattle shed after his work was done. He came home to Wicklow on 26 March 2026. With patience, safety and company, his world grew.
Other dogs are still waiting for that chance.
We ask Ireland to end the practice of keeping dogs permanently chained or tethered as their normal way of life, including working dogs.
- Prohibit permanent chaining. Introduce a clear national prohibition on keeping a dog permanently chained or tethered as its normal living arrangement.
- Provide for a dog’s daily needs. Require suitable shelter, water, exercise, social contact and space for free movement.
- Allow limited temporary restraint. Retain appropriate exceptions for safety, veterinary treatment, transport and supervised work.
- Support a practical transition. Help owners provide safe alternatives, with advice, a workable transition and clear enforcement.
This is a request for better lives for dogs, with working-dog owners, farmers and rescuers part of the solution.
A working dog is still a dog.
Draft wording. The petition has not yet been published for signatures or submitted to the Oireachtas.