Visitor Information

 

Important information for any visitor bringing their dog to the Island.

 

DOG OWNERS – PLEASE KEEP YOUR PETS ON A LEAD AT ALL TIMES WHERE LIVESTOCK GRAZE

Lismore farmers and crofters are experiencing increasing problems with dogs worrying sheep or chasing them over cliffs or into the sea and some farms suffer heavy losses each year.

It isn’t OK if you can’t see any sheep – the topography and vegetation make them difficult to spot and your dog may flush them out before you are aware. Even if your dog is well behaved, accidents happen and loose dogs cause stress to sheep.

The penalty can be a £40,000 fine and a year in jail if your dog worries sheep and your dog doesn’t need to be actually chasing sheep for you to be committing an offence. Sheep that are heavily pregnant or ewes with lambs are particularly vulnerable to distress when dogs are running, even if they are not pursuing them.

Also, Lismore is rich in wildlife, including otters and ground nesting birds that are vulnerable to disturbance by dogs and people, especially at this time of the year during the breeding season. Please be especially careful when walking along seashores, near wetlands and the margins of taller grasslands.

Dogs belonging to Lismore residents and second home owners and their guests should also be on a lead where livestock graze – please respect Lismore’s farming community and set a good example to the visiting public.

Thank you for your cooperation

Lismore Community Council April 2023