Warnings issued to Laois dog owners

A Laois animal welfare charity is again expressed concern about the number of lost dogs being reported in the county

Laois Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(LSPCA) took to social media to warn dog owners of their responsibilities.

That message was echoed by Laois Offaly Crime Prevention Officer, Garda Sergeant Graham Kavangh who also took to social media to warn dog owners this lambing season.

Laois SPCA described the level of lost and found dogs as “totally unacceptable” as they warned of the harm these pets can potentially inflict.  

“While our main objective in Laois SPCA is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome animals in need, unfortunately, a lot of our time in the last few weeks is dominated by posting Lost and Found Dogs in our page. This is totally unacceptable. We are nearing Spring and loose and uncontrolled dogs cause unnecessary stress and injury to livestock as well as huge financial losses to farmers. We are sick listening to 'the fence blew down in the wind' 'someone opened the gate' or 'he normally goes for a stroll but will come back',” Laois SPCA wrote on their page.  

“If you have a dog, it's your responsibility to keep it under control. We have already had sheep killed and dogs euthanized in the past few weeks. If you have a dog, you need to have it in a secure space where it can't go roaming and cause damage and injury. Even if dogs don't touch the sheep, it stresses the ewes so they may miscarry, or sheep get injured just running from dogs. Your dog is your responsibility and you will be liable,” Laois SPCA reminded dog owners.