“People often enjoy interacting with them and some people think it’s a good idea to provide them with treats, snacks and feed – when actually what they’re doing is extremely harmful to the animals.”
Pictured: Mr Byrne said the care required for livestock and family pets can be quite similar, with “great care” needed over their diets.
“We’ve had a lot of calls this year from people concerned about this issue.”
Some animals may simply put on weight if they’re being fed extra food. However, it becomes more of an issue when animals have underlying health issues, and treats and feed could exacerbate problems they already have.
Mr Byrne said people have needed to warn people away from their animals in some cases.
“Signs have been put up around fields, especially during lockdown.”
Pictured top: Horses have very specific diets that should not be interfered with.