Is your dog a killer?

KILDARE GENERAL, 2 May 2002: by Trish Whelan. It could be your pet pooch that turns into a sheep killer when let out of the house.

This was the stark warning delivered at the Naas Area Committee meeting of Kildare County Council. It follows attacks on sheep throughout the county in recent weeks.

Information officer Charlie Talbot said the gardai have powers to deal with stray dogs caught worrying sheep.

He told Cllr Mary Glennon that many attacks happen at night and it would not be possible to extend the work of the Dog Warden service to cover the 654 square miles of land in the county '24-hours-a-day'.

"If a farmer is in a position to detain a dog found attacking his sheep, it's a good argument or us to pick the dog up. We would collect it the next working day, if possible," he said.

But it could take over an hour to collect one dog and wardens are not permitted to use any kind of tranquilizer gun.

He believed every dog in the county should be microchip and he told of plans for a better database of licenced and stray dogs in Co Kildare.

Cllr Glennon had asked if the Council has plans for a 'proper dog warden service, particularly with regard to out of normal hours'.

Cllr Glennon said when the Gardai receive a complaint from a farmer, they ring the Dog Warden but often only get the answering machine as the wardens are out and so ring the local vet who answers the call and puts the dog down.

"It's irresponsible dog owners who are to blame. People who let their dog out during the day. Then they find it hard to believe their pet Labrador or Jack Russell could be to blame."

If all dogs were microchip, she added, it would be easy to prove the owner. She said farmers have the right to shoot a dog if it is worrying their sheep. "Very often the farmer captures the dog but cannot get a Dog Warden and the Gardai have no facilities for keeping dogs.

Responsibility for dog control is returning to the Corporate Affairs Dept of Kildare County Council shortly.

©2002knn