Carlow and Kilkenny have one of the best records in the country when it comes to alternatives for putting dogs to sleep.
That’s according to new information released from County Councils nationwide.
Five stray or unwanted dogs were put down in pounds every day last year, official figures have revealed.
Reports from councils around the country show 1,824 pets were euthanised in 2015, a fall of more than a third on the previous year.
Kilkenny and Carlow had one of the best records in the country for alternatives to euthanasia after reducing the number of dogs being put down to 12 across the two counties.
Figures from 2014 show that 87 dogs were put to sleep locally, 30 in Carlow and 57 in Kilkenny.
Others with strong records were Leitrim where only two dogs were put down, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown where five dogs were put to sleep, and Cavan which recorded seven animals put down.
Dogs Trust are urging people to consider the cost of keeping a dog before they decide to become an owner, which it said was €1,500-2,000 a year for a medium sized pet.