The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) is issuing a reminder to all dog owners to act responsibly around livestock as lambing season approaches.

Every year the ISPCA receive reports that sheep have been injured or killed, ewes miscarrying their lambs, due to being chased and attacked by uncontrolled dogs.

This causes "horrendous stress and financial loss" for sheep farmers, and is also a serious animal welfare concern too, according to the ISPCA.

ISPCA dog warden service manager Tristan Blundell said: "The aftermath of dog attacks can be horrific – sheep with bites to their face, legs, or ears and throat ripped open.

"Heavily pregnant ewes can abort their lambs as they try to escape when chased by dogs, and the stress of newly born lambs becoming separated from their mother at a critical early stage, can die from starvation or hypothermia, if not quickly reunited”.

The ISPCA is calling on all dog owners to be responsible and vigilant by always keeping their dogs on a lead, and not allowing them to roam freely in rural areas.

“Leaving a dog unattended even for a brief period in an unsecured back garden could be a risk. This may seem innocent, but it can lead to even the calmest of dogs joining forces with other dogs and attacking sheep, causing severe harm and distress to vulnerable livestock.

"This is a serious animal welfare concern and causes a huge level of emotional stress and financial worry to sheep and livestock farmers around the country," Blundell said.

The ISPCA listed the responsibilities behind dog control, which are as follows:

It is a legal requirement that all dogs are kept under “effectual control and accompanied at all times when in a public place”;
Dogs must wear a dog collar/harness with a contact phone number, name and address attached. Dogs must be microchipped with the owner’s current details on the microchipping database always kept up to date;
If you own a dog, you must also have a valid, current dog licence, which can be purchased online or at your local Post Office;
Always respect local bylaws and restrictions that apply in public parks, beaches, uplands, waterways, and farms etc. Farmers often request that dogs are not brought onto their lands.

The ISPCA also advised anyone who finds a stray dog to deliver the dog to a warden or garda station.

Where any person has reasonable grounds for believing that a stray dog has worried or is about to worry livestock, such person may seize the dog and deliver the dog to a warden.