The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for greater penalties for those found to allow dogs roam freely in areas where animals are grazing.
The organisation has launched it’s 2024 ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign, to coincide with the time when increased numbers of livestock are outdoors.
The IFA’s Mayo Chair John Lynskey has appealed to dog owners to be mindful of the need to control their animals, when ewes and lambs are in fields. He said this was especially important during the lambing season when a lot of stress was caused by dog attacks.
The association has called on robust enforcement of the legal obligations on dog owners, saying a failure by the authorities to do this has exacerbated the problem for many farmers.
While welcoming stronger regulations announced last year, the IFA said increased policing of dog movements is needed.
It wants a single national database for all dogs correlating licensing and microchipping, stronger powers of enforcement for dog wardens, along with significant on the spot fines for owners whose dogs are found worrying livestock.
