Kerry farmer appeals to dog owners after attack leaves sheep in lamb slaughtered
Killarney By Killed Of Some Overnight Sheep The Dogs Near
A dog attack in Co Kerry has left a dozen or more sheep, some in lamb, slaughtered.
This attack occurred near Killarney and was discovered by farmer Daniel O’Donoghue. The farmer has appealed to dog owners in Killarney to keep their pets tied up at night.
One of the dead sheep had been scanned last week and was carrying three lambs, while another ewe, also in lamb, was found caught in fencing. She was still alive, hanging by her leg off the wire.
Mr O’Donoghue said he hoped she would survive. Several sheep were driven up against the fencing and attacked. He said they must have been terrified.
“It’s mainly the suffering of the animal. Sheep are nervous creatures,” he told Radio Kerry during his appeal to dog owners in Killarney.
It comes as dog attacks on sheep in Co Kerry are to be mapped by the county council in an effort to identify the dogs and their owners. The Department of Agriculture is also being asked to employ its satellite tracking system in conjunction with the council maps to help identify out-of-control dogs.
Castleisland area councillor Fionnán Fitzgerald sought the move to map the attacks after "a savage" dog attack on a prize ewe and ram near Tralee in December.
The ewe was beyond help and had to be put down by the farmer. The large black dog, which had a collar and is thought to have been microchipped, was chased from attacking the ram by the farmer and his 75-year-old father, who were on their way up the hill to try and save the ewe. However, the dog returned to attack the ram.
Dog attacks on sheep go largely unpunished because of the difficulty in locating and identifying the dogs.
Mr Fitzgerald asked Kerry County Council to produce and publicise maps of the county highlighting areas that have had attacks by dogs on sheep and to visit dwellings around those areas checking to see if dogs are microchipped as they should be.
The council has agreed and said the mapping will also raise awareness of the responsibilities of dog owners and become a useful tool in reducing the number of sheep kills.
"Why shouldn't a sheep farmer be allowed to identify a microchipped dog whose location has been identified through the [Department of Agriculture's] satellite monitoring system?" Mr Fitzgerald said.
He said there was both a loss of income to sheep farmers following attacks as well as emotional upset.
"I encourage the [Department of Agriculture] to take on board the possibilities of such a system as outlined above. It would be a very positive step to see the satellite monitoring system working for the farmer in a very positive and productive way such as this," he said.