Members of An Garda Siochana are investigating a dog attack in which a number of sheep were killed in Co. Meath in recent days.
Gardai confirmed to AgriLand that two dogs were involved in an attack on sheep, resulting in the death of three animals.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening (March 7) with investigations ongoing, a Garda spokesperson said.
In a statement on the Meath Crime Prevention Facebook page, Gardai warned: “We want to highlight how important it is to keep all dogs under control at all times.
“There was another incident in Rathfeigh/Skyrne area in the past few days where a number of sheep were killed.
Never assume your pet is not capable of killing sheep as they all are.
“Please put measures in place to keep the dog under control and know where your dog is at all times,” the social media post warned.
Image source: Meath Crime Prevention
This follows a number of similar incidents in recent weeks, with dog attacks taking place twice in Co. Laois in the past week, as well as in Co. Kilkenny and Co. Cavan last month.
Commenting on the issue recently, Laois Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) chairman Francie Gorman said: “People have to be more responsible about how they look after their dogs and keep them under control at all times.
In the event of a sheep worrying incident, dog owners are liable for all damages. If needs be, a farmer can go to court and make sure that them dogs are put down.
“All dog owners are supposed to have their dogs microchipped and licensed,” Gorman added.