Shane Langrell farms in Ballinahinch, Co Wicklow, exactly halfway between Newtownmountkennedy and Roundwood. He went to check on his 30 ewe lambs at 11.30am on Saturday only to discover that 13 had been killed and another two badly injured.

“I discovered that there was blood on some of the sheep. As I went up further, to my shock I discovered there was a lot of dead sheep in the field,” said Langrell. “As I went around I was counting them. I didn’t really know how many there was because I was in a bit of shock myself. With what is dead, slaughtered really is the word, as you can see. It was a fair sight.”

Ewes torn to shreds

Many of the ewes had been torn to shreds, some of them even halved and large chunks of their bodies missing. The culprits? Two black dogs.

“I happened to look back up the field and I saw two black animals, they were dogs,” said Langrell, who rang his neighbour to come and shoot them. “I went down, collected my neighbour and went back up. I thought the dogs would have been gone but they were still in the field. One did manage to get away but I’d be 100% sure that he is dead.”

Unidentified dogs

One of the dogs was brought down to the farmyard along with the dead sheep while the other, which had been shot, ran into the nearby forest. There is no way of identifying who owns the dog because it had no collar and no microchip.

What is unusual about this attack is that it happened in a very isolated area.

“You can’t see houses for miles around,” said Langrell, who has been farming in Ballinahinch for nine years. “So it was a shock, obviously they came through the forestry.”

Dog attacks are not uncommon and many farmers in Wicklow have been affected over the years, to the point where they question whether it is worth replacing their sheep. According to Wicklow county councillor Shay Cullen, this is a major issue in rural areas, particularly those close to urban centres.

“Talk to any farmer around: people need to take responsibility for their dogs,” said Langrell. “I’ve done my best. I’ve gone to neighbours over the last few days. I’ve been knocking on doors to try and get an owner.”

Ewes valued at up to €3,000

Langrell is still treating the ewes that have been badly injured, one of which had its ear torn off by the dogs. However, they will likely have to be put down. Insurance will not cover him for the attack and the ewes are worth “anywhere between €150 to €200 each, so by 15 that runs into a nice few quid”.

“The sickening thing is that I’ve to pay to get rid of these. How do you value them? I could be keeping them four to five years and they could produce two to three lambs each year. It’s hitting the pocket.”

I went home Saturday evening and Sunday just thinking about it and reality did hit home. It’s disturbing, it’s terrible

For Langrell, the financial aspect is not the most upsetting thing – that is the memory of seeing his ewes lying dead in the field when he went to check them that morning.

“It was a fair sight Saturday morning now. It was obviously disgusting and it’s there to be seen. I’ve had a lot of help from neighbours picking up them up that morning. But I went home Saturday evening and Sunday just thinking about it and reality did hit home. It’s disturbing, it’s terrible.”

Langrell said that he is very grateful for all the help he has received from neighbours, garda Jim Donohoe in Roundwood and local IFA members.

Microchipping laws

Microchipping of dogs has been compulsory since 1 September 2015. This means that owners of puppies are required to a have a microchip inserted into the animal by a certified vet. This chip carries details of the dog, as well as the owner’s name, address and contact details. The scheme also extends to older dogs, with a requirement to have all dogs microchipped by 31 March 2016.

“It’s got to the stage where farmers can’t farm sheep due to the financial loss,” said councillor Cullen. “In the Wicklow town region we’ve seen 12 to 15 attacks in the last seven months. The law has to come down hard on people who don’t have control of their dogs.”

If dogs cannot be identified, no one is held responsible for attacks such as the one on Shane Langrell’s farm. Local authorities, the DAFM and An Garda Síochána are responsible for enforcing the new micro-chipping laws, which may help to trace dogs back to their owners when an attack occurs.

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