Following attacks on sheep by dogs in Co. Galway, dog wardens have been conducting door to door enquiries as a result.
Galway County Council’s (GCC) dog warden service were informed of the attack on sheep in the Muckanagh area of Ballygar.
According to the GCC, the “dogs involved in the incident were identified as two collies by the affected farmer” and that the “matter has also been reported to the Gardaí and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA).
The attack, which occurred on February 16, resulted in the death of one ewe.
The GCC has confirmed that their dog warden service “have been conducting door to door enquires in the area including licencing and microchipping checks”.
However, these efforts have not yielded any results as the GCC added “the two dogs involved alleged to be involved in the incident have yet to be found”.
The county council is also asking farmers in nearby areas such as Boughil, Dereen and Islandcase to be particularly vigilant at this time.
“We also appeal to all dog owners to ensure that their dog is never let out unsupervised, particularly at night, and are under control at all times,” the council added.
For those who witness an incident of sheep worrying or damage to livestock in Co. Galway they are being asked to report it immediately to Galway County Council and to An Garda Siochána.
Meanwhile, Kerry County Council is to commence mapping all dog attacks on sheep reported to the local authority this year.
It follows a recent motion tabled by Fianna Fáil Councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald calling on the council to produce and publicise such maps.
He also urged the local authority to visit houses in areas where dog attacks are reported to ensure that all dogs are microchipped.
The Castleisland-based councillor said that there was a spate of dog attacks on sheep in his local area before Christmas which deeply affected the farmers involved.
“You want to walk into a field, open the gate in the morning and see animals content and happy and doing what nature intended them to do, rather than experiencing the fierce upset that innocent animals would have to undergo during a dog attack on sheep,” he told Agriland.