What has been described as “brutal” dog attack in Co. Kildare last week saw 12 sheep killed and a further eight unaccounted for.
Such an attack is never a sight that any farmer should have to face while simply checking in on their stock.
It’s understood that this is the second attack on sheep in this area in the last number of months, and subsequently a report of the chasing of cattle by dogs in the area in north Kildare, recently too.
Speaking about the dog attack in Moyvalley, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) deputy president Brian Rushe said: “The devastation caused in this attack is brutal.
“For any farmer to find a field empty of life is disheartening, to say the least.”
Rushe said that it is simply not good enough in this day and age for dogs to be allowed to roam free and cause the level of damage that took place.
We need stronger regulation around dog control according to Rushe and the sheep chair of the IFA, Kevin Comiskey, firmly backed this up and blasted the persistent failure of the authorities to put in place strong measures to curb dog attacks.
Comiskey said: “The persistent failure of the authorities has frustrated farmers who have suffered significant losses as a result of dog attacks and those attacks continue to take place across the country like what was seen in Kildare.
“There had been what seemed constructive talks with the Minister for Social Protection, Minister for Justice, and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.
“But since then there hasn’t been any formative action taken since, which is really frustrating and cannot continue,” Comiskey said.
Gardaí confirmed to Agriland that they received report of an incident in which a number of livestock were attacked and killed on December 8, in the Carbury area of Co. Kildare and said that investigations are ongoing.