Animal welfare

Repeated dog attacks on sheep in Inca

There have been several recent attacks on sheep by dogs in Inca. | ADS

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterInca05/02/2019 19:17

A sheep farmer in Inca has suffered four attacks by dogs on his flock in little over a fortnight. The most recent incident was on Sunday night on land near to the municipal water-treatment plant. The farmer, Biel Corró, had moved 26 sheep to this land which had been harmed following an attack on Saturday. Fourteen sheep were killed and others had to be put down because of the extent of their injuries.

Inca's environment and rural affairs councillor, Àngel Garcia, has expressed the town hall's great concern. He explains that the town hall is working on a bylaw that will oblige dogs to be chipped and that it has two police officers who are specialists in this area. The problem, he believes, lies with owners who leave dogs at properties where they don't actually live.

The regional environment and agriculture ministry says that town halls have the responsibility to deal with attacks and that they can draw on the services of the government's Cofib agency (the protection of species) in order to register incidents and take action against owners.

Tolo Palou, vice-president of the College of Veterinarians, agrees that the town hall has a responsibility but stresses that owners (and their dogs) are also responsible. In his view the environment ministry should be assuming greater responsibility for the sheep. Farmers like Biel Corró are "helpless".