A FAMILY was forced to put down 21 of their own sheep following a bloody dog attack on a Woolbrook property last week.
They say this the third attack in the area in recent times.
Jazmine Hobbs’ family sheep mob had been on agistment at a relative’s property at Woolbrook without incident until she spotted three domestic dogs running down the road on Friday morning – one of them covered in blood.
She immediately went to check the sheep, before phoning the police and her father when she made the grim discovery.
“Twenty-one of the sheep were horrifically mauled on multiple sites of their bodies,” Ms Hobbs said
“Their injuries were so horrifying we had no choice but to put them down. Another 8, also ripped apart by the dogs were already dead, most of them had tried to escape in the dams and were drowned. Another three were injured and had to be treated with antibiotics. The remaining 11 sheep were the lucky ones and are only mentally traumatised by the event.”
Ms Hobbs said it was brutally heartbreaking when you do everything to support the sheep.
“Some were poddies we had hand raised, they were our beloved pets,” she said.
“They’re our livelihood – our food source and our income. There are people out there who own dogs, and they don’t practise responsible pet ownership.”
Ms Hobbs shared photos of the incident on Facebook, which has since attracted waves of support.
“I’ve had a big response on my Facebook post,” she said.
“Some positive, some negative. I understand the pictures are awful and confronting, but I want people to understand this is the reality for a lot of people.
Ms Hobbs said she has identified the town dogs to police.
“Sheep producers should not have to protect their animals from domestic dogs and the only solution to this is that domestic dog ownership laws must change to ensure producer’s animals are protected,” she said.
“We propose a law is brought in where owners are nationally identified when their dogs execute a brutal attack on livestock. These people are allowed one warning, after this if any dogs they own in the future attack livestock anywhere else in Australia, they are banned from owning dogs ever again.
“We feel this is the only fair way that irresponsible dog owners can be stopped from owning more and more dogs. This law can also be used to nationally identify people owning dogs who attack humans.”
Police told The Leader on Tuesday that investigations into the incident are continuing.
Also last week five Poll Dorset sheep were mauled to death and another two were put down after dogs attacked them near Tamworth
In the attack, five of the sheep were in lamb, and were attacked in the early hours of the morning at a property in Moonbi.
Police said eight sheep were being kept in a paddock in William Street, but one was not seriously injured.
