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| Responsible Dog Owners by Leave No Trace Ireland |
"Take responsibility for your
dog by having it licenced, micro-chipped and ensuring it wears an ID tag at all
times. If your dog is in an area where
it is allowed to be off lead and which is also safe for the dog, it should
still be kept under control at all times. This means your dog is always within
sight and will return when called. Practice recall with your dog at home to
help you both learn good control for when you are out and about. Look up
dog-friendly areas near you or in the area you are visiting and please try to
consider other visitors, wildlife and farm animals. Responsible dog ownership makes
the outdoors experience better for everyone.” States the Leave No Trace Ireland
guide for dog owners.
The Wicklow Cheviot Sheep Owners’
booklet adds: “Keep
your dog away from areas where there are livestock even if on a lead. Sheep and
lambs are very vulnerable to dog activity and they will view even the
friendliest pet dog as a predator and be very nervous of it. Being chased by a dog causes a very high level
of stress among sheep and lambs and can easily result in their death. All cattle, especially bulls and cows with calves, can be very aggressive towards a dog, as they will consider it to be a predator. A farmer has the right to shoot a dog that they consider is worrying livestock on that farmers' land."
Dog control has become a major
issue in Wicklow due to the increased recreational use of the hills and an
increase in incidents of dogs attacking sheep was reported recently.
Many dog owners are not aware of
the problems that their dog can create for farmers and landowners in rural areas. Uncontrolled dogs are a serious threat to the
livelihood of upland farmers. Dogs loose
on the hills may cause anxiety to sheep causing them to be displaced. Other
threats include early abortion of lambs and dogs directly attacking sheep causing
severe injury or death. The problem is not limited to walkers’ dogs as damage is
often caused by local dogs which stray from neighbouring properties, therefore
it is crucial that as a responsible dog owner you know where your dog is at all
times.
The law requires that all dogs
must be under effectual control.
Effective control means that your dog will come at your command. If not,
your dog must be kept on a lead. Dog
owners need to respect other walkers, local farmers and landowners and their
wishes identified through signage. Dogs
should never be off a leash when close to livestock and again dog owners should
be aware of where their dogs are at all times.
For a number of years Wicklow
Uplands Council has worked closely to foster good relationship between
hillwalkers and upland landowners. In
general, private landowners welcome responsible recreational use of the hills
and central to this is responsible dog ownership. Wicklow Uplands Council, Wicklow IFA and
Wicklow Cheviot Sheep Owners Association have agreed to support the use of
signage to prohibit dogs on private land where livestock are present. This move came in an effort to alleviate the
negative impacts of uncontrolled dogs particularly at key hotspots where
recreational use is high and sheep are present including Glenmalure,
Glendalough, Glenmacnass and Lugnaquilla.
A consistent message is promoted which requests recreational users to
respect grazing animals, wildlife and other recreational users and leave their
dogs at home.
“Walkers are welcome in County
Wicklow but please respect local signage and leave dogs at home if you intend
to access land where livestock are present.
There are many places that are suitable for dog walking across the
county including Coillte forests but please remember that dogs must be under
effectual control in these areas.” emphasized Brian Dunne, Co-ordinator of
Wicklow Uplands Council.
It is expected that only about
one third of the dogs in Wicklow are properly licenced. Enforcement of dog licencing has the
potential to generate a substantial revenue which could be ‘ring-fenced’ and
put back into greater enforcement, education and legislation on dogs. There are
currently only two dog wardens in the County and they cannot possibly enforce
current legislation. There are calls for
a group comprising of landowners, Gardaí and the local authority to be formed to
promote responsible dog ownership and for enforcing the existing legislation.
The new micro chipping legislation is very important and all dogs need to be
micro-chipped from the 1st of April 2016, this is very welcome and a
positive step for dog welfare.
The education of dog owners is a
key priority. The Leave No Trace Ireland guide and the Wicklow Cheviot Sheep
Owners’ booklet are useful resources for dog owners and can be downloaded from
Wicklow Uplands Council’s website www.wicklowuplands.ie
If you witness an incident of
sheep worrying or damage to livestock please report it immediately to: Wicklow
County Council Ph: 0404 20236 or Email: env@wicklowcoco.ie. If you see a stray dog
in the hills please report it immediately to the ISPCA Dog Warden Service Ph: 0404 44873.
Author: Lenka Mulligan, Communications Officer, Wicklow Uplands
Council
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