Warning to dog owners

Dog owners whose dogs have been terrorising farmers and causing them considerable losses will be held accountable.

That’s according to Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Indar Weir. He made the promise recently after touring the Nature Fun Ranch at Bruce Vale, St. Andrew which on account of several attacks by dogs earlier this year, lost almost all of its sheep, goats and rabbits.

“This is certainly not acceptable. I just want to send a stern warning to people who keep dogs that your dog is your responsibility and that we in Barbados now have to become a more responsible nation,” the Agriculture Minister maintained.

He made the comments while indicating that he has received reports from across the local agricultural sector of problems with dogs attacking livestock and destroying them and he is adamant that this unfortunate trend cannot be allowed to continue. To that end, he contended that his Ministry is going to do “whatever it takes to hold the owners responsible”, as he insisted that is perhaps the only way to get a handle on the problem.

“I think it is really absurd that you would have these young people coming up here and working so hard, then to have their animals destroyed by dogs. It is really irresponsible of the owners and something has to be done about it and done quickly and if the owners are going to have to be held responsible then we are going to do what we have to do,” he insisted.