Do you know where your dog went last night?

At an event in Ardclough to highlight sheep worrying were Sgt John Dunne, Newbridge Garda; Niamh O'Connor; Denis Halpin, chair of Kildare West Wicklow IFA; Henry O'Connor, Ardclough IFA; Joe Neville TD; Marie Gaynor, KCC; Aine Clinch, KCC; Seamus Deay, Dog Warden; Lindsey Fitzpatrick, Dog Warden; Sasha Bowler; Cllr Peggy O’Dwyer; Louis Dunne and Daniel McNally, IFA.

It's a time of the year when reports of dogs worrying sheep make headlines, sometimes with very distressing photographs of animals which have been savaged, writes Brian Byrne. Behind such images is heartbreak for the farmers concerned, and a harrowing effect on up to 60 flocks in the Kildare West Wicklow area each year.

That's the number of flocks which are 'hunted' by dogs each year, according to Denis Halpin, chairman of Kildare West Wicklow IFA. It's likely not the full figure, because not all such incidents are reported. The system of dealing with sheep worrying is cumbersome, and there's a move to try and make reporting incidents more structured and efficient between farmer, council and the Garda. At the core of this is a call for greater enforcement of dog licences, the requirement for which Denis Halpin says 'thousands' of dog owners simply ignore.

Ardclough farmer Henry O'Connor, whose flock has experienced numerous worrying incidents over years, says that linking the legal but separate requirements of chipping and licensing dogs is part of the answer. Just like a Garda can now scan a car number plate and get insurance, tax and owner information, a check by a vet on a microchip should be able to show if the animal's owner has a current licence for it.

Denis Halpin and Henry O'Connor.

Denis Halpin says a properly developed enforcement system would be self-funding and the council wouldn't have to be funding dog wardens. "The extra income from the scheme would actually allow for many more wardens to be employed directly," he says, adding that it would also provide a funding stream to provide more kennel space for stray or seized dogs, necessary because existing kennels are generally full.

Two dog wardens are currently employed by Kildare County Council to deal with the whole county. While there are plans to double that number, it's a very big stretch for them to monitor whether the owners of at least 25,000 pet dogs are in compliance with licensing regulations. And there are limits on their powers. 

A dog owner can be prosecuted for not having a licence, but that prosecution has to be taken by a garda, supported by the warden as a witness. Any subsequent fine has to be collected, by the Sheriff if it is not paid voluntarily. "That means most fines for dog licences just don't get paid," says Denis Halpin. Also, a warden can't simply take a dog from its owner — seizure or destruction orders have to be issued by a court before the dog can be taken. "In many cases, those dogs will have been moved on in the interim, to a relative maybe," Denis Halpin adds.

Henry O'Connor says most culprits are ordinary dogs, in many cases let out in the morning when their owners go to work. "Or they can be let out at night when their owners come home, and then it's worse because nobody can see what's going on." Because dogs like to hunt in packs, one left out will find a couple more, "and then there's huge damage done."

Apart from physical savaging, trauma from just being chased is equally distressful, if not more so. "All it takes at this time of the year is a worry and the ewes can lose their lambs," Henry O'Connor says. "If the lamb dies inside the ewe, that causes huge problems. And even if the lamb is successfully born, between the trauma of the birth and the effects of the hunt before they are born, they can die after as little as ten or fifteen minutes because their hearts aren't able to take the stress." He adds that 'hunting' a flock will stress sheep so much that it can take them up to two months to recover. "They're not just all right again the next day."

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Community votes wanted for pet health lab

Kerrie Kavanagh and some of the Pet Vet Lab team:  Mia Supple, Claire Nangle, Brian Kelly, Katie O'Neill, Tim Lacey and Niamh Slattery.

A laboratory dedicated to assessing pet health and headed up by a Kilcullen resident is in the final shakeup for the Irish Made Awards 2024 run by Irish Country Magazine, writes Brian Byrne.

Kerrie Kavanagh is the senior microbiologist at Pet Vet Lab, which operates within the Irish Equine Centre campus at Johnstown, and she would really appreciate support from the community in the voting. The laboratory is a finalist in the Petmania category of the awards, and public voting at irishcountrymagazine.ie/vote24/ is open until 12 September.

Kerrie lives in Cnoc na Greine and leads a team of ten scientists at Pet Vet Lab, which produces probiotics for pets, individualised to maximise each animal's health. Based on establishing gut health through analysis of fecal matter from the pet, the technique was developed for the multi-million-euro Irish horse industry. "To their owners, pets are part of their families, to whom they are just as high a value as horses are," Kerrie says, noting the fact that she and all her team are all dog owners. Though the service is not confined to dogs — cats, pet birds, even alpacas have been helped with the techniques provided at Pet Vet Lab.

"When we get in a fecal sample from, say, a dog that has been showing symptoms — maybe digestive or skin issues or behavioural problems — we can determine if there's an imbalance in the gut health that might be causing it. Then we target specific bacteria from the animal that would help fix that, providing it as a probiotic solution."

Pet Vet Lab does considerable work for veterinary practices and for animal shelter charities, but also encourages pet owners to access them directly where appropriate. It's more than probable that there are many pets out there whose general health is not as well as it might be simply because their owners don't know that they can be checked out in a simple way. “We always emphasise that issues which require veterinary services should be done through your vet, but for general health analysis we have a samples service available through our website.” The site at petvetlab.ie provides very clear instructions for contact and sending in samples.

For any pet owner who'd like to talk directly to Kerrie and her team, they'll be at Maxi Zoo in The Globe Retail Park in Naas this Saturday 7 September from 12 noon to 4pm, providing information and free worm test kits.

Meantime, particularly if you are a Kilcullen pet owner, get that vote in.

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Bridget Hayes Pet Care and Services

From July 2022 I will be running a little business, caring for small animals when owners are away for a day, a night, a week or more, writes Bridget Hayes. 

For pets ranging from Rabbits to Guinea Pigs, Hamsters and Gerbils, as well as Birds, my boarding service will be based between Brannockstown and Kilcullen.

As a qualified Veterinary Nurse, with many years experience in small animal veterinary practices, as well as eight years spent caring for all creatures great and small in Dublin Zoo, I have decided that now is the right time to set up a little business in my home.

Having recently added some chickens to our family, I will be happy to call to your home to care for yours.

If you'd like to have a chat with me, you can give me a ring or text on 085 7055857 or email me on hayesbridget1@gmail.com.

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Book Sale and Pet Blessing this weekend

The KWWSPCA will be hosting another massive Book Sale in the Heritage Centre, Kilcullen, on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 October, from 11am–5pm each day.

A wide range of books will be on sale — fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, as well as DVS — at very reasonable prices (adults - €5 for any six books; children - €2 for five books).

All proceeds from the Book Sale will go directly to the KWWSPCA.

Also, the Annual Pet Blessing Service will take place again this year on Sunday, 6 October, at 3.30pm at Christ Church, Celbridge. The Church is located near the gates to Castletown House, close to Celbridge Village.

All pets and their owners are very welcome. Refreshments will be served after the Service and the Collection will go to the KWWSPCA.

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Open Day at Animals First

The Animals First Veterinary Hospital service is holding an Open Day on 7 May, writes Brian Byrne.

The event will run between 2pm-5pm and and includes activities for children, talks from a dog behaviourist, advice on the care of pets, and a tour of the clinic.

There will also be a barbecue through the afternoon. The clinic is located at the Link Business Park on the road to Naas just outside Kilcullen.

All welcome.

More wins for Sabrina

Local dog grooming specialist Sabrina Rice has added yet more awards to her tally, this time at the Irish Professional Dog Grooming Association Championships, writes Brian Byrne.

She placed 1st in the Open Asian Clipped class and 3rd in the Open Hand Scissor class.

"I'm delighted especially with my place in the Asian class as this is my favourite style," she posted on her Facebook page today, "and while a bit more extreme for competition it can be used on almost any fluffy breed in everyday grooming. Amazing prizes again. Looking forward to trying my new scissors!"

Sabrina's family are originally from Nicholastown, and she operates her grooming service from Walshestown, near Athgarvan.

Last June she won the Best in Show award at the K9 Expo Dog Lover's Show in Armagh, the second year in a row that she took the prize.

Are your dog's vaccinations up to date?

Dog vaccinations are given yearly, writes Kurt Henry of Animals First Veterinary Hospital, but what are they and what do they actually do?

Dogs contract a number of serious and potentially life threatening diseases that can be easily prevented by vaccination. A primary course of vaccination, followed by annual boosters is an effective way to prevent your pet from contracting many of these illnesses.

We are aware that many clients did not receive a vaccination reminder in the past 12 months. If your pet is overdue their booster vaccination by more than six months, they may be required to restart the full vaccination program. This special offer will allow you to get your pet back on track for the cost of a single booster. This offer will run throughout the remainder of 2016.

The following diseases are the most commonly encountered diseases in dogs, which can be prevented with vaccinations:

Parvovirus — The virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea along with gastrointestinal bleeding. Treatment is intensive and despite treatment, a number of animals may not recover.

Leptospirosis — Dogs are usually infected by contact with rodents or urine contaminated slow moving water. The disease can also be transmitted to humans. It causes liver and kidney damage and can have fatal consequences.

Distemper — Due to vaccination, this disease is not as commonly seen as it once was. If any animal is affected, it can cause brain damage.

Hepatitis — As the name suggests, this disease can cause severe liver problems, and can develop into liver failure

Kennel cough — is an upper respiratory tract infection caused by both viral and bacterial agents. The infection is very contagious to other dogs and multiple animals kept in close proximity are at greatest risk. It must be said that while infection is easily spread, the condition overall typically does not pose a serious risk to a dog’s health. The infection can result in a severe, hacking cough and may be accompanied by fever and lethargy. The vaccination is recommended for dogs, ideally ten days before going into kennels. Typically most animals would eventually get over the infection themselves but as mentioned before, the symptoms can be uncomfortable and animals continue to be contagious to other animals due to coughing and airborne spread. We would recommend seeking veterinary attention for any dog that is showing signs of persistent, coughing for more than three days.

Contact Animals First Veterinary Hospital on 045-480478 for more details or to make an appointment for your pet.

Home needed for beautiful dog

Blessington Pet Hospital has a beautiful 5-year-old Weimeraner dog (similar above) about 35kg and grey in colour, that urgently needs rehoming as his owners have abandoned him.

He was recently in a car accident but only has skin damage and is perfectly healthy otherwise.

For the next few weeks while healing he needs to be kept in a quite confined area but he is brilliant with other dogs, cats and children.

The vet and staff are unable to take him themselves and if he is sent to the pound he will only last five days maximum.

The Weimaraner is a large dog that was originally bred for hunting in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer. They live for about 12 years and have an alert and intelligent temperament.

Blessington Pet Hospital's phone number is 045 857875.

Doggy fundraisers

A number of fundraising events are planned by the Kildare West Wicklow SPCA over coming months, writes Brian Byrne.

They include a Dog Walk on the Curragh Racecourse on Sunday 1 March, beginning at 2pm.

There will be a prize for the best dog and owner appropriately dressed for Dt David's Day (patron saint of Wales).

On Friday 2 April, Good Friday, an Easter Egg Hunt and Dog Walk will be held at Punchestown Racecourse.

The event will be between 2-4pm, and children are especially welcome.

There is no charge for either event, but all donations on the days will be welcome.

The KWWSPCA helpline is 087 1279835.

Hedgehogs are Nancy's latest arrivals

One of Kilcullen's newest residents can get a bit prickly if he gets upset, writes Brian Byrne. But otherwise he's a real friendly little fellow.

He's a baby African Hedgehog, just recently arrived at Nancy Poulain's Les Petits Pets shop, along with a little sister. And he was clearly enjoying the afternoon sun outside the River Cafe yesterday.

"They're bred for pets," says Nancy. "They can be house-trained, and eat cat-food and are very easy to look after."

The African Hedgehog is of a much lighter colour than the garden Irish variety.