Ernie Patterson lost three lambs and has many others suffer severe injuries in an attack by dogs on Monday night. The incident was not noticed until early Tuesday morning and at that stage, the farmer in question called it a scene of “pandemonium”.

The lambs bore the brunt of the attack and were scattered around three different fields.

"They had been forced through fences, into lint holes and there was blood dripping everywhere,” Patterson told Farming Life.

Mr. Patterson was aware of which sheep and lambs were in each of his fields at the time because he had been dosing them throughout the day.

Loose dogs

After reporting the incident to the police and dog warden, Mr Patterson was told that there had been reports of two dogs – a black Labrador type and black and white Collie type – running loose in the area.

Patterson added: “I called the vet and she was really stunned by what she saw. It really was horrendous. She had to put down three and spent hours trying to stitch up the deep cuts on many others.”

While the initial loss of three lambs is disappointing, Patterson knows he could be faced with further problems in the weeks ahead.

He had urged farmers and dog oweners to be mindful of where their animals are at all time.