Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national sheep chair Adrian Gallagher has called for “immediate” and “stronger” legislation to curb dog attacks on sheep.
The call follows a dog attack on the Dublin-Wicklow border in the last week, where over 15 sheep were killed, with some being put down by a local vet due to the severity of their injuries.
The dog was caught and the owner has been identified, and authorities are dealing with the incident.
Gallagher said that dog owners should be aware “they are liable for the damage and losses” caused by dogs when cattle and sheep are worried or killed.
He said that dog attacks have reached “unprecedented levels”, and has called for government responsibility in the area to ensure “robust structures”.
The IFA national sheep chair said that the “level of sanctions” that are been applied “do not reflect the savagery and trauma” these uncontrolled dogs are causing.
Dog attacks
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, launched a national awareness campaign earlier in the year to highlight to dog owners the harm that out of control dogs can do to people and to livestock.
The group, established last month and chaired by retired Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey, has been tasked with reviewing existing policy in relation to dog control and breeding establishments.
The government has also introduced a number of measures in attempt to improve the situation, including increases in on-the-spot fines of up to €300, and an additional €2 million to support dog pounds.
Gallagher said that local authorities must “immediately prioritise the enforcement of existing regulations” to curb the continued attacks.
He said that the problem was “escalating”, due to a few reasons, including having no centralised database to identify ownership and those responsible for dogs, along with what he described as “the lack of enforcement” of licensing and microchipping.