KILDARE: Kildare farmer had to climb tree to escape attacking Rottweiler as dog attacks increase

A recent spate of dog attacks on sheep has prompted a call for owners to be more responsible.

Six sheep were killed in an attack on farmland at Moyvalley just before Christmas and there were eights deaths within a flock when dogs went on the rampage three weeks ago in Cadamstown.

Apart front the deaths these two incidents resulted in, almost 60 sheep were affected.

And Kildare/West Wicklow Irish Farmers Association chairman Thomas O’Connor pointed out that the impact of these attacks is often not apparent until the lambing season (Feb-March) when lambs are stillborn.

A sheep flock was attacked by two Rottweiler dogs near Blessington and the farmer had to scale a tree to avoid being injured when one of the dogs turned on him.

And at  a farm adjacent to Moore Abbey Woods in Monasterevin, three Red Setters got among a flock of 400 sheep, though there were no immediate deaths in this incident.

In 2021 Kildare was the third worst county for deaths among sheep following dog attacks. And no fines were issued to errant dog owners for four years between 2019 and 2022.

The IFA has criticised the failure of the authorities to tackle “what is a growing problem on farms” and called on people to accept the responsibilities that go with dog ownership.

“The level of sanctions that can be applied do not reflect the savagery and trauma these uncontrolled dogs are causing.  The absence of a centralised database to identify ownership and those responsible for the dogs, and the lack of enforcement of microchipping, are all contributing to this persistent and escalating problem,” he said Mr O’connor, a farmer based in south Kildare..

The latest report on the implementation of the Control of Dogs Act shows only 192,348 are licensed out of an estimated 800,000 in the country. This leaves an estimated 607,652, or 76% of dogs, unidentified.

He said it is not acceptable to farmers, who provide full traceability for the seven million cattle and the four million sheep under their care from birth, and where every animal is individually tagged and traceable, that a similar system is not in place for dog owners.

Kildare West Wicklow IFA Sheep Chairman Denis Halpin said all dog owners should take heed that they are fully liable for all damage and suffering caused to farmers and their sheep by their dogs.

“The irresponsible behaviour of some dog owners continues to lead to devastating consequences on farms and must stop,” he said.

He said this is a critical time of year on sheep farms as lambing gets underway. Dog attacks are causing unimaginable suffering for sheep and lambs and huge economic losses for farmers.

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