Thirty-eight sheep were killed in Galway this week during dog attacks described as “savage” by farmer Christopher Rock.
The 25 Blackface ewes and 13 Texel-cross March lambs were slaughtered on Monday and during the early hours of Tuesday morning in two separate attacks.
A further 16 ewes have injuries requiring veterinary treatment, with just six of the 47 ewes in the field escaping without being killed or mauled.
The dog inflicted wounds to the sheep's necks and went from one to the next, says Rock.
“I’ve a few lambs left who I know won’t make it as well,” said the farmer, who’s calculated the financial loss to be “at least” €10,000.
Rock, who farms at Peterswell in south Galway, said “the place was just a mess” and that the dog “killed for sport”.
Attack
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, the farmer described how he first discovered that his sheep had been attacked on Monday at 3.30pm, having checked them that morning.
He found four ewes killed and a further four which had to be put down by a vet, as they had “deep puncture wounds to the neck”.
The cost of the lost stock is at least €10,000, says Rock.
Worried about the remaining stock, Rock stayed up until 3.30am to watch the field his sheep were in. He had no other field to move the sheep to, but as it was beginning to get bright and the sheep were settled, he went back to his home, just “100 yards away”.
The Galway man returned at 6.30am to find a scene he could only describe as a “disaster”.
The Galway sheep farmer says the dog left "carnage" in its wake. \ Hany Marzouk
“I was back at 6.30am. The place was just a mess. I was 100 yards away in the farm house and I heard nothing,” he added.
Sheep killed
Some 22 sheep lay dead in the field, with a further six ewes and two lambs with severe injuries later having to be put down.
“They were fine hardy lambs. They were doing everything they could with broken legs and everything trying to survive.
Sixteen injured ewes now require veterinary treatment.
“They’d all wounds to the neck or one bite to the side. He went from one to the next,” Rock added.
Dog
While he can’t say for certain, the Galway farmer believes it was one large German shepherd involved in the sheep attack, more than likely a local dog.
Cameras on the farmhouse didn’t detect any footage of the dog, but, after listening back, Rock said “you could hear just one dog barking”.
Lambs were run into drains by the dog.
“A farmer saw an Alsatian at 6.30am [on Tuesday] looking jaded just down the road. He was 3ft long and had a blue rope on him, which looked like he’d broke it.”
From the paw prints, the dog warden also thinks it was a German shepherd-type animal, the farmer said.
Investigation
Gort gardaí have attended the scene and are investigating the matter and have asked that anyone with information calls the station on 091 636 400.
“The worst thing about all this is I’m just waiting for it to happen again. All it takes is five minutes and it’s carnage,” Rock warned.
The dog inflicted deep puncture wounds on the sheep.
He called for Government to actually enforce dog worrying regulation.
“It’s fine bringing in rules and regulation, but if there’s no one to enforce it, it’s no good. It’s not being enforced.
“The public don’t have a clue. I went from house to house and they all say ‘oh my dog wouldn’t do that’. You can think that all you want, but it can be any dog,” he said.
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Thirty-eight sheep were killed in Galway this week during dog attacks described as “savage” by farmer Christopher Rock.
The 25 Blackface ewes and 13 Texel-cross March lambs were slaughtered on Monday and during the early hours of Tuesday morning in two separate attacks.
A further 16 ewes have injuries requiring veterinary treatment, with just six of the 47 ewes in the field escaping without being killed or mauled.
The dog inflicted wounds to the sheep's necks and went from one to the next, says Rock.
“I’ve a few lambs left who I know won’t make it as well,” said the farmer, who’s calculated the financial loss to be “at least” €10,000.
Rock, who farms at Peterswell in south Galway, said “the place was just a mess” and that the dog “killed for sport”.
Attack
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, the farmer described how he first discovered that his sheep had been attacked on Monday at 3.30pm, having checked them that morning.
He found four ewes killed and a further four which had to be put down by a vet, as they had “deep puncture wounds to the neck”.
The cost of the lost stock is at least €10,000, says Rock.
Worried about the remaining stock, Rock stayed up until 3.30am to watch the field his sheep were in. He had no other field to move the sheep to, but as it was beginning to get bright and the sheep were settled, he went back to his home, just “100 yards away”.
The Galway man returned at 6.30am to find a scene he could only describe as a “disaster”.
The Galway sheep farmer says the dog left "carnage" in its wake. \ Hany Marzouk
“I was back at 6.30am. The place was just a mess. I was 100 yards away in the farm house and I heard nothing,” he added.
Sheep killed
Some 22 sheep lay dead in the field, with a further six ewes and two lambs with severe injuries later having to be put down.
“They were fine hardy lambs. They were doing everything they could with broken legs and everything trying to survive.
Sixteen injured ewes now require veterinary treatment.
“They’d all wounds to the neck or one bite to the side. He went from one to the next,” Rock added.
Dog
While he can’t say for certain, the Galway farmer believes it was one large German shepherd involved in the sheep attack, more than likely a local dog.
Cameras on the farmhouse didn’t detect any footage of the dog, but, after listening back, Rock said “you could hear just one dog barking”.
Lambs were run into drains by the dog.
“A farmer saw an Alsatian at 6.30am [on Tuesday] looking jaded just down the road. He was 3ft long and had a blue rope on him, which looked like he’d broke it.”
From the paw prints, the dog warden also thinks it was a German shepherd-type animal, the farmer said.
Investigation
Gort gardaí have attended the scene and are investigating the matter and have asked that anyone with information calls the station on 091 636 400.
“The worst thing about all this is I’m just waiting for it to happen again. All it takes is five minutes and it’s carnage,” Rock warned.
The dog inflicted deep puncture wounds on the sheep.
He called for Government to actually enforce dog worrying regulation.
“It’s fine bringing in rules and regulation, but if there’s no one to enforce it, it’s no good. It’s not being enforced.
“The public don’t have a clue. I went from house to house and they all say ‘oh my dog wouldn’t do that’. You can think that all you want, but it can be any dog,” he said.
Read more
Dog attacks on sheep a ‘relentless’ assault – TD
Dog drives flock of ewes into Donegal sea
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