Kerry Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) hill farming chair, Pat O’Shea has called for immediate action following another dog attack on sheep.
O’Shea said the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and his department must act “now” in relation to dog control legislation to ensure attacks like this don’t continue to carry devastating consequences.
He said: “Unfortunately, we are left asking questions of the minister and the department on where the much-needed stronger dog control legislations are following an horrific attack in Kerry.
“IFA [has] been tirelessly working for dog control laws to be strengthened up, but the minister has failed to move quickly and we continue to see attacks like these devastate more farm families.”
Dog attack
The IFA said it recognised the stronger regulations that were brought before the Cabinet in recent months “as a step in the right direction but no more progress has been made to prevent dog attacks on livestock”.
Last month, a Co. Galway sheep farmer said that the “tranquility and relaxation” of his farming life has been lost, after two separate dog attacks in 24 hours resulted in the loss of 38 ewes and lambs.
In terms of the monetary loss, the farmer estimated this to be at least €5,000. The situation has left the Galway farmer unsure over the future of his farm.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, because I’m at my wit’s end. I can’t relax, I can’t go anywhere or do anything. It happened in the day and it happened at night. You’re totally exposed,” he said.
In April, a south Kerry farmer described a dog attack that resulted in the deaths of 70 of his sheep as “desperate cruelty”.
Patrick McCarthy, who keeps Scotch and Cheviot sheep in the Sneem area, said that 20 of the ewes had already lambed, while the remaining 60 were ready to lamb this week.
However, when the farmer went to inspect his sheep on his land overlooking the sea, he found that 10 ewes had been “torn” by dogs.
The farmer believes that the dogs involved in the attack forced the sheep into the sea as he discovered the bodies of three ewes and a couple of lambs washed in with the tide.
The IFA is again appealing to all dog owners to be extra vigilant of their dogs and their whereabouts at all times.