Possibly moving to Ireland with my dog!! (Would like some input!)

RandomDotters

Hello all!

I hope you are having a wonderful morning!

I figured this forum may be the right place to ask, since most other dog forums I found aren't very active.
I may or may not have a career chance in Cork, Ireland. Let's pretend that I've recieved the OK and it will happen. We're coming from Germany. (If it does, I'm coming over somewhere a week before the 25.8.). I have a dog, a mix, named Micro. We're not sure what she is mixed with because she comes from one of those puppy mill situations. The miller told the transporter (she was on her way from France to Belgium) that she is a Berger de Pyrenees x Braque.

I have a few questions regarding living with a dog in Ireland.

How is renting an apartment with dogs?

She looks very much like a German Shepherd. (I would post a photo but not allowed). Now, I honestly do not know if she is a GSD mix. I rescued her. For a while we thought she may even be Min Pin. I know GSDs are on the BSL in Ireland - so my next question:
Who is to say she is a GSD(mix) and how do I go about proving that? Or will it not be a problem at all? Her EU pass says mix.

How are the leash laws in Ireland? Are they allowed to run free in designated areas? (Here, dogs may run free in the forest in most states). Are there dog parks? Of course I know about picking up after my dog, that's not even a question. It's gross to leave the poo lying around.

Another thing - Micro is a service (assistance) dog. I have a dr's "recommendation" for the use of a trained service dog. Micro IS trained and serves as such. Does anyone know where I can check the laws regarding this? I suppose it falls under the Disability Discrimination Act of some sorts?

Micro has an EU pass, is therefore chipped, vaccinated and regularly de-wormed. We do meet the regulations to travel to Ireland.

Thanks for your help!

mistress_gi

Well, I know nothing about the service dog part of things but I can give you a few lights on the restricted breed and bringing her into ireland part.
So to bring her into ireland you need a pet passport and in the passport it must be stated the vaccination record, your dog must have a valid and recent (less than 2 years but more than 21 days) rabies vaccine.
Before travelling into ireland she must have gone to the vet to get an external antiparasitic (against fleas, ticks and mites) something like advantage and an internal deworming tablet (like drontal plus). Once that has been given to the dog by the vet you have 5 days to get into ireland. I had my vet write me a note attesting for all the worming treatments and I had that with the passport.
Good info here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/coming_to_live_in_ireland/bringing_pets_to_ireland.html

In terms of actually travelling with her you have 3 choices:
1. Bring her in the plane in a crate
Luftansa will be able to do that for your but be prepared to pay for the service plus a fee (from what I've heard) in the airport

2. Drive her yourself
Drive to France and get on the ferry, for me this is the easiest option

3. Get her onto a specialist land transport

In terms of your dog looking like a restricted breed, there is no ban on breeds here but restricted breeds must be muzzled and on a lead at all times and she must be walked by a person of 16 or older (correct me here if I am mistaken fellow boardsies). There are a few dog parks but if she is deemed to be a restricted breed that is now allowed, having said that, there are a lot of field and such in the island
Also,with larger breeds insurance is a must, but it is not so expensive (I pay 20 euros a month), vet care is expensive and it is easier if you are covered!

Renting with a dog is a bit of a nightmare especially at the moment (I am in Dublin so I am assuming it is the same in Cork) be prepared to pay a bit more! Also, it is easier if you have previous renting references (make sure you get these) and work references as well, daft.ie is the place to look.
Well, I think I covered most of it! If I can help more pm me or add here!
Good luck

RandomDotters

Ah well, we are due for a deworming this month anyway...so if I get the OK from the employer, I'll just do all that a few days before we travel. We're not necessarily due for the topical but oh well, won't hurt to do it.

She was last vaccinated in January so I think we're good there.

Micro IS muzzle trained so if it comes down to it, that won't necessarily be much of a problem. Does she have to wear a muzzle if I were to take her for a hike, too?

Also, who is to say she *is* a restricted breed?

She's 42cm and the only thing that looks remotely shepherd is her face and those bat ears. But since humans enjoy anthropomorphology, of course they'll look at the facial features first... and maybe her color but SO MANY dog breeds are black and tan.

DBB

Firstly op, good luck with your travels, Cork is a great city! Do you drive? You may find it easier to get dog-friendly accomodation if you go out if the city a bit.
As for who dictates what breed she is, the fact is that it's down to the "expert witness" on the day, most likely the dog warden and/or county vet. So it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks she is, I'm afraid.
What I'm wondering is, how is there a question mark over her ancestry being GSD vs MinPin?! What size is she?
If she's a GSD x (in the eyes of the expert witness), whether she's exempt from the restricted breeds legislation is debatable if she's a service dog... The legislation exempts dogs used for guidance for people who are unable to find their way alone, and trained by recognised guidance-dog training organisations.
Is a service dog included as a dog used for guidance? I doubt it has ever been tested here, but I would imagine a judge might give some leeway on it. However, if the dog is self-trained or privately trained by a non-recognised organisation, you would be stretching your luck. This is a line of defence that I've heard people say they'd use if they had to, but I certainly would not like to rely on it unless the paperwork was all in order!

Edited to add: here's the legislation, I draw your attention specifically to Section 7(2)(b)
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1998/en/si/0442.html

Edited to add again: I see she's 42cm. Small but I had a GSD x as a kid who was a little smaller! It's down to her overall appearance really.
That all said, the laws are enforced rather patchily here. The chances of being pulled up are fairly small depending on what part of the country you're in, but the chance is always there if your dog bears a resemblance to one of the restricted breeds.

tk123

If the dog is a legitimate service dog i.e. registered/supplied from a service dog charity in Germany would she not be able to travel on the plane with the OP - Ryanair allow service dogs afaik?

DBB

tk123 wrote: »

If the dog is a legitimate service dog i.e. registered/supplied from a service dog charity in Germany would she not be able to travel on the plane with the OP - Ryanair allow service dogs afaik?

Yes, Ryanair allow Guide/assistance dogs in the cabin, which they define in the blurb in this link, along with the T&Cs:
http://www.ryanair.com/ie/terms-and-conditions/regulations-guidedogs/

As per the blurb, the dog must be affiliated to one of the following organisations to be allowed entry into the UK or Ireland:
International Guide Dog Federation
Assistance Dogs UK
Assistance Dogs International