Dogs kill sheep in Seaforde

Dogs kill sheep in Seaforde

28 January 2015

A LOCAL farmer has warned he will shoot dogs which attack his sheep.

Damian Tumelty issued the warning after a savage dog attack on a number of his sheep last weekend near Seaforde.

A flock of 46 sheep in a field which bordered the Drumcaw and Manse roads were attacked by what Mr. Tumelty believes may have been Husky-type dogs last Friday evening.

Four sheep died as a result of the attack which Down Council’s dog warden and the PSNI are currently investigating.

Mr. Tumelty said when the dogs attacked, a number of sheep were chased out of the field and on to the Drumcaw Road. When he was alerted and went to the scene he found one dead sheep and noticed nine others were missing.

“One sheep was badly eaten at the rear of its body and had to be put down by a vet, while two others were killed by the dogs and one drowned in a stream,” he explained.

“It took me most of Saturday to find the missing sheep who were clearly distressed. Two of the sheep that died were pregnant and attacks of this nature are the last thing farmers need during what is lambing season.”

Mr. Tumelty said if he had discovered any dogs on his land last weekend he would have had no hesitation shooting them. He believes his view is shared by other farmers and has appealed to dog owners in the area to keep their animals on a lead at all times.

The farmer made it clear he will have no hesitation shooting any dogs which stray on his land in future, urging dog owners to look after their animals and know where they are at all times.

Mr. Tumelty is also appealing to Down Council to review the working hours of its dog wardens who patrol the district.

He explained the wardens work from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, which meant the attack on his sheep was not investigated until Monday morning, over 60 hours after it happened.

“Dog wardens can inject dogs suspected of being involved in sheep attacks to make then vomit to look for traces of wool in their stomachs. 

This could not be done last weekend and precious time was lost,” suggested Mr. Tumelty.

“I believe Down Council needs to see how dog wardens could perhaps work on an on-call basis at weekends to respond to incidents of this nature. It would certainly be appreciated by the farming community.”

The farmer added: “Dog owners must keep a closer eye on their pets. Owners need to know where their animals are are at all times. If they don’t, a family pet could end up getting shot for worrying sheep.

“I would ask anyone who may know anything about last week’s attack on my sheep to contact either Down Council dog wardens or local police. It is important these kind of incidents are brought to a halt. Farmers can’t afford to have their flocks targeted during lambing season.”