A dog attack leaving almost 40 sheep dead on the Dingle Peninsula, near the village of Annascaul in Ireland, has caused fury in the Irish farming sector.
The sheep farmer woke up last Friday morning, 5 August, to find that 36 of his sheep had been killed in the night by a dog attack.
The 36 deceased sheep included 10 ewes, along with 26 Texel lambs.
The farmer entered the field on Friday morning and noticed the sheep wire and stakes had been damaged.
The dead sheep were lying in a different field.
It appears the animals had been chased into a corner, and were found crushed up against a gate.
Three neighbours of the farmer in question also had four sheep killed on the same night.
The local vet was able to confirm that the bike marks were the cause of some of the animals death, and that it came from a dog.
The vet also pronounced that the remaining animals had died due to suffocation, caused by being crushed into such a small space.
The farmer of the 36 attacked sheep is estimating the financial loss to be worth around €3,000 (£2580) to his farm.
The Irish Farmers’ Association National Sheep Chairman John Lynskey is reminding dog owners to control their animals and reminds owners they are responsible for their animals in such attacks.
"There are far too many dog owners not taking the responsibility that goes with owning a pet. Dog owners have an obligation to have their dog under control at all times", he says.
