Five lambs and a ewe have been killed in a sheep attack near Tullyallen, Co Louth, with another ewe still missing following the attack.

The attack was the result of a dog being off its lead in Townleyhall Park, Co Louth.

The dog made its way on to farmland, killing five lambs and driving a ewe into the river, where it subsequently drowned.

They may be a house pet, but they can also be a vicious killer

The other ewe is suspected to have been swept down the river.

Speaking with Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) Tullyallen PRO Kevin Leddy, he said that the owner of the sheep is distraught.

"We are very concerned about how sheep attacks are escalating as more people now have dogs since the pandemic.

"They may be a house pet, but they can also be a vicious killer," Leddy warned.

Leddy said that the IFA wants to emphasise that people should not be walking their dogs on farm land, especially as the lambing season gets under way.

"Dog owners must know their responsibilities - dogs need to be micro-chipped, licensed and under control all the times.

"The message just isn’t getting through to people."

Devastation

Leddy said that the owner of the sheep is worried that the other ewes who were worried in the attack may lose their lambs.

"This is a massive expense to a farmer and can cause devastation," he said.

The farmer said that the dog owner who was out walking in Townleyhall said they never thought their dog could do this.

The dog is believed to be a labrador crossed with a German shepherd.

Neospora

Leddy also said that the other big issue with people out walking dogs on farmland is neospora infection from dog litter, which can cause abortion in cattle.

There are no drugs or vaccines to control this disease.