Responsible dog control continues to be a major issue for all sheep farmers resulting in the loss and serious injury of their flock and the financial and emotional burden that it creates.
As recreational use of the Wicklow Uplands increases, the presence of dogs close to farmland areas and the hills used for sheep farming, requires a greater awareness of Responsible Dog Control.
Uncontrolled dogs are a serious threat to the livelihood of upland farmers. Dogs loose on the hills cause anxiety within a flock of sheep often causing them to be displaced and getting stuck in rough ground and vegetation.
One of the impacts that is often unseen by recreational users is the early abortion of lambs and in the worst incidences; dogs directly attack sheep causing them severe injury or death.
When a flock is disturbed, the loss of young lambs due to hunger can also occur if they become separated from their mother, the source of essential milk. This is not just a problem for the landowner in terms of their livelihood but it is also a serious animal welfare issue.
The problem is not limited to walker’s dogs with damage often being caused by local dogs which stray from neighbouring properties, often with their owners unaware of their whereabouts.
The farming communities of Co. Wicklow and Co. Dublin experienced a number of serious incidents involving multiple sheep losses in 2019. This included serious incidents where newly born lambs and heavily pregnant ewes were killed and maimed. In several cases, dogs who were thought to have been owned locally were found in the midst of the attacks and destroyed onsite.
Wicklow Uplands Council have issued the following guidelines for all dog owners living or visiting farmland areas to ensure that they continue to play a crucial role in making them a safer place for all to enjoy.
Wicklow Uplands Council have issued the following guidelines for all dog owners living or visiting farmland areas to ensure that they continue to play a crucial role in making them a safer place for all to enjoy.