Kerry farmer with sheep killed calls for dog owners to pay into emergency fund for farmers

A Kerry farmer who had two sheep killed by a dog last night is calling for an extra tariff on dog owners to provide an emergency fund for attacks on farm animals.

Pat Harrington from Kielduff says a black dog attacked two of his sheep last night, including a breeding ram.

Mr Harrington was alerted to the attack by his elderly father who was distressed, and he injured the dog with a firearm before it escaped.

He’s calling on the local authority to get tougher on dog owners and enforce microchipping.

He says dog owners should also pay an additional fee on top of their dog licence which farmers can use to replace livestock in the event of further dog attacks.