A pair of lambs in a subject in The Dowery, Manor Kilbride in January 2022. Photo: Damien Eagers
A sheep killed after being attacked by dogs.
Wicklow Uplands Council have issued a request to canine house owners asking them to make sure their pet is correctly managed always to guarantee the protection of livestock.
Owners are requested to maintain their dogs on a lead throughout visits to the uplands to minimise the chance of misery to livestock, making certain their security, and the livelihoods of native farmers.
Wicklow IFA Chairman and Wicklow Uplands Council committee member Tom Byrne stated: “We are forever raising the issues of dogs in the uplands. It’s a huge problem in Wicklow. We encourage walkers, but not dogs off the lead, especially at a time when we are coming in spring and ewes are heavy in lamb or have a lamb at foot. There have been umpteen kills of sheep in recent months as a result of dogs.
“I have had personal experiences of having to go around a filed after dog attacks and having to collect the carcasses of dead sheep or having to euthanize a half-eaten ewe. It’s a horrible experience.
“There was a recent incident outside Aughrim where there were three attacks on neighbouring farms and in one of the incidents a dog was killed. I visited one of the farms where they had a ewe who had both of her ears eaten off.
“Dog owners need to also realise that they are liable for any damage their dogs cause and most dogs these days are very traceable.”
Wicklow’s farming group has additionally been upset with the Government’s response to the difficulty. In late 2022 Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue was tasked with finishing up a evaluate of the related laws after a young boy was badly injured by a canine in County Wexford.
“The review was to bring in new bye-laws but we have been left less than impressed with the outcome,” stated Mr Byrne.
“Minister McConalogue said he would allocate a further 40 dog wardens, and with County Wicklow’s density, I think we would have been entitled to two additional dog wardens. Unfortunately, the Minister never supplied the funding for the additional dog wardens, so Wicklow farmers were thrown under the bus again. Dog control also falls under two Departments, the Department of Environment and the Department of Agriculture. We have been saying for some time that it should be the single remit of the Department of Agriculture, rather than falling between two stools.”
