Four sheep attacked by dogs in Snake Valley on Sunday have had to be euthanised by the Pyrenees Council ranger.
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Local Clayton says a property abutting his own and others in Cochrane Drive is carrying about 50 sheep. The property is owned and maintained by an absentee farmer in Ballarat, and Clayton says he and a neighbour keep an eye on his sheep.
Clayton said his neighbour saw dogs in the property on Sunday morning. He went out and chased them away, saying they were rottweilers. The dogs went towards Snake Valley, and the neighbour discovered four sheep down.
“One of those sheep died in the course of the day,” said Clayton.
“We went about contacting the owner and the ranger; the ranger came out on Sunday and made an assessment, and she had to euthanise three sheep. There were other sheep that had been nipped, but she assessed that they’d be ok.
“They loaded the sheep bodies into the ute and off they went to dispose of them at the pound.”
Clayton says that locals have no idea who owns the dogs, but his neighbour saw that one had a collar.
“Obviously when you’ve got dogs attacking sheep, you want to chase them off but you don’t want to go in too close in case you get attacked yourself.”
Clayton says without footage of the actual attacks it’s very hard to get prosecutions in these cases, but he hopes to get more people in Snake Valley aware of the problem and the dangers of unrestrained dogs around stock.
“Often what happens with these things is that you get someone who has a visitor for the holidays, they bring their dogs and then their property isn’t geared up for the containment of the dogs, and the dogs get out,” said Clayton.
Under s.30 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994, the owner of any animals or birds kept for farming purposes, any person authorised by the owner or an authorised officer may destroy any dog or cat found at large in the place where the animals or birds are confined; or if the animals or birds are tethered, in the vicinity of the animals or birds. The owner, a person authorised by the owner or authorised officer does not incur any civil or criminal liability for acting under subsection 1.
Anyone with information about the attacks is urged to contact Pyrenees Shire Council or local police.