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The “long awaited” review into dog control in Ireland must be under one Government department, according to the Wicklow Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) chair.
Thomas Byrne was speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal about three separate dog attacks that happened in the county in the last month.
Byrne said farmers are still waiting for actions from the reformed Dog Control Act announced last year.
“The IFA want[s] the Dog Control Act to be under one department, so that one department can get to grips with the whole thing and tighten up the legislation,” he said.
“The control of dogs falls under four separate departments. There’s the expression that ‘it falls between two stools’, but when it falls between four stools, it hasn’t a hope of seeing the light of day.
“[Former Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue] allocated extra money for a dog warden; 40 dog wardens for the entire country and we were hoping that we’d benefit and get an extra one in Wicklow, but it didn’t happen.”
‘At our wits end’
The first dog attack happened on a sheep farm in Cloneen near Aughrim two weeks ago in which eight sheep were killed and a further two were badly injured. This was also the third attack that this farm had experienced in less than 12 months.
At around the same time as the first incident, a dog attacked a flock near the townland of Clash in which the dog was injured.
In addition, last week, an 80-ewe flock in north Wicklow had 15 of its sheep killed. The dog was killed at the scene and its owner was notified.
Byrne said that attacks have become too common in the county and many incidents are due to irresponsible pet owners out on dog walks.
“We’re at our wits end with it,” said Byrne. “We feel victimised. The dogs have more rights than the sheep. I don’t understand it.
“There has been an attack, after an attack, after an attack in Wicklow. We live on the edge of Dublin, people come out walking at the weekends and they feel they have to bring their dogs and let them off. We have to have this curbed."
Awareness
Wicklow IFA will hold a campaign to take dogs off the streets during the lambing period in Newcastle, Kilcoole, at 10am on Monday 10 February.
“We have a bit of a ‘softly approach’, but I think we’re going to have to be more hardline,” he added.
“To lose your pet; for someone to shoot your pet, it’s devastating for the pet owner. Along with the fact that the sheep are killed. Everyone knows how treasured a dog is as a family pet, so there’s a responsibility that goes with pet ownership.”
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