Dogs

As it’s Christmas, I thought we’d have a little crazy fun and let Billy the Jack Russell have his view on the year that was.

Two dogs ran sheep off the side of a cliff in west Galway, with the farmer now left searching for the missing ewes injured or dead.

Michael O’Reilly of Cois Maigh, Mogeely, Castlemartyr, Co Cork pleaded guilty in May 2024 to seven charges under the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013. David Forsythe reports.

Two dogs were also shot in a separate incident a couple of weeks before this, in which four sheep were killed in Clarecastle, Co Clare.

A lack of a centralised database to identify those responsible for their dogs and a lack of enforcement at ground level is compounding issues.

Robust measures are needed to address dogs worrying and attacking sheep, the IFA has said.

Italian sheep farmer Gabriele Filippini lost 90 sheep to wolves in five years but the introduction of Maremmano guardian dogs has greatly reduced losses, Chris McCullough reports.

The incident occurred on the beef farm in August after two dogs entered a field and tried to attack the cattle.