7th February, 2014

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association has called on every dog owner to make sure they are in control of their dogs at all times, as lambing season begins and sheep are extra vulnerable to attacks.

ICSA sheep chairman Paul Brady said, “All dogs, from cherished family pets to prized working dogs, can potentially cause an awful lot of distress and damage if they are not kept under control. At this time of year, sheep flocks have a lot of heavily pregnant ewes and some have already started lambing. It is absolutely vital that we all do what we can to protect these defenceless animals from attack. I would call on all dog owners to ensure that they do their duty to make sure their dogs are under control at all times to avoid a scenario whereby a farmer is forced to shoot a dog in order to protect his livestock.”