This is a subscriber-only article
Sheep farmer Padraig Rice has expressed his anger after a number of sheep in his flock were attacked and killed by dogs last Thursday.
Rice insisted that dog owners in the Dundalk area had to take better responsibility for their animals after a series of attacks in the region.
“The dog owners must see the blood on their animals when they get back from attacking sheep,” Rice said.
“I can see the mud on my own dogs just after they’ve been for a run in the fields.”
Last Thursday morning, Rice went to feed his sheep and found two dead and another 10 stuck in a river.
A number of other sheep were lame, with clear bite marks on their legs.
Stress
The subsequent stress of the attack on the sheep has resulted in a number developing pneumonia and infections as a result of their bites.
In total, Rice said 10 sheep were dead after the attack.
The financial repercussions of the attack are also considerable, given that one ewe was carrying triplets, five were carrying doubles and the rest were carrying single lambs.
Dog warden
Rice has reported the incident to the dog warden, but believes the law itself should be changed in relation to killer dogs.
“My brother reported an attack on his flock this time last year. He recognised the dog and the dog warden seized the dog,” Rice explained.
“But the owner went and got the dog out and the dog subsequently went off and killed again.
“For a dog warden to capture a dog and then release it again is ridiculous. The law needs to be changed.”
SHARING OPTIONS: