SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — In an effort to identify the owners whose stray animals cause motor vehicle crashes, Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Central George Wright is calling for the full enforcement of regulations requiring all cattle to be identified with ear tags.

He was speaking against the background of the recent death of Donathan Dillon of Shrewsbury District in the parish. Dillon would have celebrated his 47th birthday today.

The Westmoreland businessman died as a result of injuries he received when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a cow on the Waterworks main road in Westmoreland Friday night.

Reports from the Whithorn police are that Dillon was driving his blue Yamaha motorcycle along the roadway when he collided with a cow that walked into his path.

The parish of Westmoreland has been battling cow-related incidents for some time now.

Last year the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation announced that the animal pound in the parish was to be repaired and reopened to address the ongoing issue of stray animals on the streets, which have caused road crashes.

But Wright is adamant that the owners of the stray cows should be brought to book. However, he noted that even after the animals causing the incidents are caught, their owners are oftentimes not identified.

“The pound alone is not enough. These cows… their owners must be charged. Most of them are caught but the thing is that no one owns them. Therefore, it is best then that all the animals are tagged so that you know the owners,” Wright told the Jamaica Observer.

In 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries announced that enforcement of regulations requiring all cattle to be identified with ear tags and corresponding passports would start in September of that year.

The requirements, which underpin the National Animal Identifications and Traceability System, are under the Animals (Diseases and Importation) (Marking of Bovine Animals) Act.

Meanwhile, Vice-chairman of the National Road Safety Council Dr Lucien Jones said the authorities need to ensure that owners take responsibility for keeping their animals off the roads.

“Yes, road users ought to traverse that area very carefully in light of past experience, but it cannot be that animals are allowed to roam freely without any sanctions,“ he said. ”[The] irresponsible behaviour continues to result in road fatalities, as was the case with [this latest incident] involving a black cow,” he added.

He noted that it would be difficult for the motorcyclist to spot the black cow at night.

For his part, Wright also expressed condolences to Dillon’s family.

“It’s a very sad time now for me as well, as the guy was my friend; good, good friend. He was like a brother to me. I want to express my condolences to his family. I spoke to his father who is now at a loss for words,“ he said.