Lambing season worry for farmers as dogs savage flocks

By TONY GALVIN A MOYLOUGH farmer and councillor has called on all dog owners to act responsibily and help spare stock owners like himself the trauma, inconvenience and cost associated with their sheep being savaged by dogs. Cllr Kevin Ryan had to spend nights tracking the dogs which were worrying his sheep but when he finally caught a dog in the act and shot it, its owner denied responsibility, claiming it was a stray. [private] Now Cllr Ryan is calling for stricter enforcement of the law where dogs are concerned. He wants owners to license their dogs and provide the collars and identification details which are required under the Control of Dogs Act. He is also calling on owners to take a more responsible approach and ensure that their pets are properly restrained and kept in at night. He points out that he happened to be insured but if he were not the loss of his savaged sheep would have cost him at least €3,000. As it is he had to pay a vet to come out and put down some of the sheep, which were beyond help. Then he had to pay €135 to have the carcasses removed. But to add insult to injury, he took the carcass of the dog he shot to the dump and it cost him a further €10 to dispose of it. 'It's not just the cost involved. It can be traumatic to see your stock in such a terrible condition, literally eaten down to the bone. In addition, I had to spend five nights out waiting to catch these dogs. Lack of sleep can impact on farm work and all this because some people are so irresponsible that they can't be bothered to control their dogs,' he told The Tuam Herald. Cllr Ryan says he is coming across a lot of farmers who have either suffered from attacks on their sheep or who are worried and taking precautions to try and protect them. 'The problem is you have to catch the dogs red-handed. I knew the dog I shot was roaming free for about three weeks but I couldn't shoot it until I caught it in the act. Then when I brought the matter to the attention of the owner, he denied all responsibility, claiming the dog was a stray. I'm not alone in this. It's a common occurrence and the only real way to tackle it is to crack down on dogs being allowed roam at night and make their owners responsible,' he said. He is calling for dog owners to take a good look at the damage dogs have done to his sheep and to stop pretending their pet wouldn't do such a thing. 'Any dog will worry sheep and once it gets a taste for blood it can do incredible damage to stock. Leaving aside the cruelty involved, this is impacting on people's livelihood and an important part of our trade. It has to stop,' he concluded. Obligations under Control of Dogs Act â€Â¢ Dogs must be kept under effective control in a public place. All dogs must wear a collar and tag bearing the name and address of the owner. â€Â¢ Certain breeds of potentially dangerous dogs must be kept on a short strong leash and muzzled whenever they are in a public place. â€Â¢ A person in charge of a dog must clean up when the dog fouls in a public place. Owners who fail to do so are liable to an on-the-spot fine of €127. â€Â¢ Dogs which are involved in sheep worrying may be shot by the flock-owner or may be seized and put down by the dog warden. The dog-owner is liable for damages in cases where sheep are killed or injured. The Dog Warden for Galway East can be contacted on 087-6431883. [/private]