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.
Dog attacks
Kerry County Council said there was “merit” in the councillor’s proposal, adding that the council’s environment section will now begin plotting all reported dog attacks on sheep in 2024 on a map.
“All reported sheep attacks are fully investigated, but without sufficient evidence they are difficult to bring to a successful conclusion.
“This initiative can also serve to raise awareness of the responsibilities of dog owners and become a useful tool in reducing the number of sheep kills locally and perhaps nationally,” the council said.
Councillor Fitzgerald, who is a tillage farmer, believes these maps could be replicated by local authorities around the country to identify areas where there is a high prevalence of dog attacks.
“It allows for social media campaigns to go out and encourage people to make sure that their dogs are under control, particularly at nighttime,” he said.
DAFM
Dog attacks on livestock often go unpunished due to difficulty identifying the dogs involved and proving that the dog was present at the time of the incident.
Councillor Fitzgerald believes that the Area Monitoring System (AMS) used by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for farm scheme compliance could be adapted to help identify dogs involved in attacks.
Councillor Fitzgerald acknowledged that there could be data protection issues around using the technology for such a purpose, but added that this could be overcome by the landowner giving permission.
“It’s something that could be worked upon because that satellite system is fantastically strong.
“It’s one that all farmers are engaged with and wouldn’t it be great to see that system working for a farmer?” he said.
“Joined up thinking is what is needed, linked with the use of technology, to help decrease attacks on sheep and bring justice to bear on the dog owners responsible for these vicious attacks,” the councillor added.
Kerry
Last month, a Kerry farmer called for a dedicated compensation fund for farmers impacted by dog attacks on their livestock.
Pat Harrington, who keeps a flock of Swaledale, Cheviot and Scotch sheep in Kielduff, close to Tralee, made the comments after three of his sheep were killed after being savaged by a dog.
The farmer estimated that one of his breeding rams that was killed was worth up to €800, while two in-lamb ewes would have been valued at €300 each.
Harrington said that a neighbour had also experienced “savage” dog attacks in which sheep were severely injured.
The incident was the latest in a string of dog attacks on sheep across Kerry in the past year.
In November, around 25 pedigree sheep were been killed following a suspected dog attack in west Kerry, which took place during Storm Debi.
In August, 11 lambs were killed and 18 were injured in a dog attack on an out-farm in Beaufort, while in April around 70 sheep were killed in the Sneem area in the south of the county.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys announced a suite of new measures designed to enhance dog control in November.
The measures included increasing on-the-spot fines for more serious offences under the Control of Dogs Act increase from €100 to €300.