A farmer in Co. Kildare has lost four sheep following a dog attack on his farm over the weekend.
Andrew White, a sheep farmer on the edge of the Curragh, explained that the dog attack happened between 10am and 4pm on Sunday.
The incident happened in the Friarstown/Rathbride area of Kildare and three dogs were reportedly seen in the attack, including a husky-type dog, a Golden Retriever and a terrier.
Along with the four fatalities, White explained that at least seven other sheep from his flock of 200 lambs were injured in the attack, with two sustaining serious injuries as a result.
Warning: Graphic content as four lambs killed in dog attack
-
- One of the lambs killed in the dog attack
-
- One of the lambs fatally injured in the attack
-
- An example of a dog attack on sheep
-
- The dogs done severe damage to this lambs bottom jaw
None of the dogs involved in the attack were caught and he explained that a neighbouring farmer suffered a similar attack back in August.
“The problem isn’t the loss of the four sheep, but the worry that the dogs will attack again,” he said.
These dogs will strike again if they get the chance, he said, and it is impossible to stand out in the field 24/7 to prevent a similar attack from occurring again.
If anyone has any information, they have been asked to contact the Kildare Garda Station or Andrew directly.
60% of Irish sheep farms have suffered a dog attack
A poll carried out by Agriland in 2015 showed that over 60% of sheep farms had suffered a dog attack.
The poll illustrated a staggering result, from the participants six out of every 10 sheep farms have experienced a dog attack on their sheep.
The poll results also show that 77% of sheep farmers did not feel that the current laws protect their sheep flocks from dog attacks, while almost a quarter said that the law provides adequate protection for their flocks.
A staggering 96% of voters said that they would shoot a dog attacking sheep on their farm, which indicates how seriously farmers take this threat.
