A man travelling with a ferret perched on his shoulder and repeated complaints about unmuzzled dangerous dogs were among a stream of reports sent about animals on public transport.
Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority (NTA) received dozens of complaints over the past two years relating to dogs, exotic pets, and what passengers described as aggressive or unsafe behaviour.
One passenger described a journey on a busy Galway-bound train where a man entered a carriage with what was believed to be a ferret or weasel.
A record said the passenger had the animal “on a lead and not in a cage” as they boarded before sitting down with the creature resting on his shoulder.
“Passengers were admiring him,” the complainant said, although they felt the animal should have been confined and wanted to bring the incident to Irish Rail’s attention.
Other complaints raised more serious safety concerns, particularly around restricted dog breeds being brought onto trains without muzzles.
In multiple cases, passengers said they encountered pit bull–type or Staffordshire bull terrier dogs travelling unmuzzled on crowded services, including during rush hour.
“This is extremely dangerous given how busy the DART carriages are,” one person wrote, saying they were “astonished” staff had allowed the dog through ticket barriers.
Another passenger described an unmuzzled restricted breed dog moving around a late-night train, saying it was “a recipe for a disaster” in a confined carriage full of people.
Other gripes from passengers included complaints about dogs that were roaming freely through carriages, jumping at other travellers, or snapping and barking at staff.