Westmeath IFA discuss No Dogs Allowed Campaign
Westmeath IFA has urged the local authority to complete recruitment for a second dog warden to ensure the safety of livestock in the county.
The issue was raised at the April meeting of the local farm organisation when Adrian Gallagher, the national chair of the IFA’s Sheep Committee, gave an insight into the market conditions for those in the sheep sector.
Last year The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) launched a ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign to address dog attacks on livestock, particularly sheep, and to hold dog owners responsible for the actions of their pets.
The campaign aims to highlight the devastation caused by such attacks and demand stronger regulations and enforcement of existing laws.
John Bagnall, county secretary for Westmeath IFA, said such attacks on farm animals are an ongoing problem: “Dogs will do what dogs will do, and often that involves chasing things that run away from them,” he said, “and that has been an issue for many Westmeath farmers.
“People at the meeting shared their experience of getting calls from neighbours telling them that there were a couple of dogs after their sheep.”
John says attacks can have a significant financial impact: “This can have a traumatic, and often fatal, effect on ewes after yeaning and on small lambs. If a number of dogs run after sheep it can literally frighten the life out of them.”
He said farmers at the meeting had one goal, to “get the powers that be to put a greater effort into enforcing the laws that are there”.
Chairman of Westmeath IFA, Richard O’Brien, said funding is in place to appoint a second dog warden: “The county council have appointed a new dog warden, but they’re in the process of appointing a second one. That’s something the IFA have been looking for over years.”
Richard says a second warden would solve a significant problem: “If there’s a dog attack in Kinnegad and the dog warden is in Castlepollard, they’re not going to get to the area of the attack
The problem is ongoing: “There was a dog attack a few weeks ago up in Turin, where there were sheep killed. The dog in question was got and owner took responsibility and disposed of the dog.”
Farmers at the April IFA meeting voiced their concerns: “There were people who have had issues with dogs over years. One man in Kinnegad had dogs chasing the cattle, the cattle were all pinned in the corners of the field.
“The whole place was ploughed up from running and running and running. When he went out, the dogs were fairly aggressive towards him. He had to call another neighbour to get them away from the cattle.”
John Bagnall said the organisation will continue to campaign on the topic: “It’s a big issue and one the IFA feel needs to be highlighted at every opportunity.”