The spate of serious dog attacks on sheep in recent months has prompted the establishment of a working group to examine dog control issues.

The group will examine issues such as fines under the Control of Dogs Act, enforcement of dog control at local authority level, the provision of dog wardens, microchipping of dogs, promoting responsible dog ownership and dog licensing.

Details of the new group were released following a meeting between Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys earlier this week.

The brief of dog control measures falls across the two Departments and some in the industry feel this has possibly led to control measures falling between two stools and not been enforced adequately in recent years.

As such sheep producers will be pleased to hear that there appears to be more urgency now in tackling issues with the group set to meet in the coming days and report to the two ministers concerned.

Ministers McConalogue and Humphreys also confirmed that they intend to consult and engage with relevant stakeholders to update them regularly on the progress of the group.

This is a vital component with sheep farmers dismayed in the past following initiatives such as dog microchipping that have failed to tighten controls.

Welcome initiative

Welcoming the establishment of the working group, Minister McConalogue said: “As two ministers with primary responsibility in the area of dogs, Minister Humphreys and I held a very constructive meeting with a focus on working closely together in the time ahead.

“There is a clear commitment from both of us to tackle this issue and ensure that the law is as robust as possible to ensure that both people and animals are safe.

“Our dogs are more than pets, they are our companions and loyal friends. However, the harrowing scenes we have witnessed recently show the threat dogs can pose if they are not properly controlled by their owners. Both Minister Humphreys and I will work proactively on this in the time ahead.”

These views were echoed by Minister Humphreys who said: “Attacks by dogs can have a devastating impact on families, as we have seen during a number of deeply disturbing incidents in recent weeks.

“While the issue of dog control crosses a number of different Government Departments, as well as our local authorities, it is vital that we get to grips with this issue. That’s why, as a first step, Minister McConalogue and I have decided to set up a working group, which will consider all relevant legislative and enforcement issues in relation to dogs.

“This review will bring all the key players together to consider what action can be taken to keep both people and animals safe.”

Insurance cover

Meanwhile farmers are being advised to review their farm insurance policy to see if it provides cover to sheep attacks.

The unfortunate reality is that the perpetrating dogs are frequently not caught, or where they are, their owners are not identified due to the absence of microchips. As such it is prudent to take all measures to try to protect your farming business from the risk of substantial losses.