Flies have come early and are biting hard this year, animal officials said yesterday.

Government head animal warden Jeffrey Benevides and Police animal protection officer P.c. Yvonne Ricca both called on animal owners to be vigilant in warding off flies after seeing brutal wounds inflicted on animals, especially dogs and horses, by the pests.

?They go on the ears and stay to eat, sucking the blood,? P.c. Ricca said. ?Then they keep coming back until the dog develops sores.

?The sores turn black then bloody as they keep eating, so the area becomes infected and inflamed. And the flies just stay there. It?s not even summer yet, these poor animals.?

Flies settle on the red, irritated, open wound, and continue to make it worse.

Dogs seem to suffer the most, especially when they are tethered or kept in a kennel and cannot escape the pests, which P.c. Ricca said were the common black fly seen anywhere on the Island.

?The problem is going to get worse,? warned Mr. Benevides. ?We?ve seen it before (during the summers), but it?s earlier this year and there are lots of them.?

If an animal owner suspects their animal is being attacked in such a way by flies, Mr. Benevides and P.c. Ricca recommended talking to the local vet for advice.

With an open wound, they recommended drying it first with a drying agent such as Wonder Dust, a wound powder available at most pet care stores.

As soon as the wound dries it will begin to heal itself, they said. However the main thing as the wound heals will be to keep the flies at a low level to prevent further injury.

Animals can be sprayed with a fly repellent (never spray the repellent on the open wound, however), and their area should be kept clean of waste, with fresh water and clean bedding so as not to attract flies to begin with.

People do not have to report flies to the Department of Environmental Protection, but both Mr. Benevides and P.c. Ricca urged the public call them or the local vet for advice in tackling the problem.

?Education is the key,? said Mr. Benevides. ?And if (animal owners) don?t take the advice or seek medical treatment for their animals, we can put them into court.?

The pair also advised animal owners to prepare for the coming heat of summer by ensuring their pets have adequate shelter and shade, a place out of the heat, and lots of fresh water.

?Pay attention to your animals,? P.c. Ricca said.