Following another devastating dog attack in Co. Kerry where over 70 sheep were lost, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to move faster in relation to dog control.
The association claims that if immediate action is not taken, attacks like this will continue to “mark” rural Ireland.
It’s understood over 70 ewes and lambs were attacked and killed or forced into the sea where they subsequently drowned in the past few days in the Sneem area in Kerry, leaving a local farmer devastated.
Dog attack
According to the IFA, this was not the first dog attack this farmer has experienced in recent years.
“The horrific scenes in Kerry today are unfortunately a common sight at this point,” IFA Kerry chair, Kenneth Jones said.
“A devastating attack like this has huge consequences for a family farm and it will take a long time for this farm to recover.
“IFA [has] been tirelessly working for dog control laws to be strengthened up, but the minister has failed to move quickly and we are going to continue to see attacks like these devastate more farm families.”
The association said that recent, stronger regulations which were brought before Cabinet were a step in the right direction, however, claimed more needs to be done.
This would include not just preventing dog attacks on livestock, but bringing forward serious consequences for the owners of dogs found attacking livestock, according to the IFA.
The association is appealing to all dog owners to be extra vigilant of their dogs and their whereabouts at all times, especially at this time of the year when livestock are going through lambing and calving.