Two loose dogs are suspected of having caused a 'savage attack' on fifteen sheep in Devon, police have said.
Devon and Cornwall Police officers in Totnes said four of the sheep had to be put down after suffering extensive injuries.
The severely injured sheep had to endure a night 'lying with much of their insides ripped out'.
The incident happened between midnight and 2am on Sunday 6 October in a field in South Brent.
In a post shared on Facebook, police officers said the injuries were 'horrific'.
“This was deeply distressing for the farmer. It is suspected 2 dogs were responsible for the attack.
“The only photograph suitable to publicly show shows an ewe having had chunks of its body ripped out, the blue colouring a result of some initial treatment,” police said.
Devon and Cornwall Police are asking the public for more information by contacting the force on 101 and quoting log reference 142 07/10/19.
Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, if a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the person in charge of the dog is guilty of an offence.
A man was recently fined £300 after he admitted to a livestock worrying offence which took place in January this year.
Last year, a member of the public was ordered to pay out over £2100 after being found guilty of worrying livestock with his out-of-control dogs.
