Two XL American Bulldogs murdered 24 pregnant lambs, and the farmer who lost them all claimed he is still having trouble processing the “horrifying” incident.
In addition, Paul Jones said that 46 ewes suffered injuries at his farm in North Wales as a result of the two dogs “savaging them” in a barn.
He said, “I’ve never seen anything with this devastation, but we do see dog attacks.” “The sheep were trapped in the shed and were unable to escape.”
The owner of the dogs was fined £900, prohibited from owning dogs, and the dogs were shot.
“Too common” is how the police described dog assaults on livestock, and it took a vet ten hours to sew up his damaged lambs.
In addition to the psychological effects of the incident, Mr. Jones claimed that he lost £14,000 and only received half of it back from his insurance provider.
His terrifying tale started in March when he went to check on some loose sheep in the yard of Rhos Farm, which is located near Rhosllanerchrugog, just south of Wrexham.
Mr Jones remembered, “I came around the corner and found two sheep in the yard, basically ripped apart. I let go of one of my small sheep dogs.”
Upon hearing a “massive disturbance” in one of his barns, he saw two dogs—later identified as American XL bulldogs—in the midst of the ewes, “savaging them.”
Before he could flee, Mr Jones said that one of the dogs also emerged into the yard and attempted to attack him.
He remarked, “We do see dog attacks on farms, but nothing of this severity. At most, four or five get injured or killed.”
Horrifying, that. Everyone there on that particular day was impacted.”
Having put both canines to death, he said that his “only solace” was that it was just him and not his ageing mother or son who was confronting the dog.
Mr. Jones said, “They threw those sheep around like they were paper.”
He said that since his insurance company only pays for dead animals—not wounded ones—it only reimbursed him for around half of the £14,000 he lost in the assault. In addition, he claimed that his insurance premium had doubled.
He said, “I don’t know how long it will take us to recover.”
Dog assaults may have a “tremendous” effect on farming families, the Farmers Union of Wales claimed, putting them at a “financial and emotional breaking point.”
It said that assaults persisted in spite of industry efforts targeting dog owners and that it had advocated for more police authority and harsher punishments for those who violated the law.
An FUW representative said, “We continue to lobby to make it mandatory for dogs to be kept on a lead in fields near or adjacent to livestock.”
At Wrexham Magistrates’ Court last week, David Hughes, 26, the owner of the dogs, acknowledged that he was the owner of a dog that was endangering cattle and that he was in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control.
Hughes, of Pen y Wern, Rhos, was fined £900 and prohibited from owning dogs for five years.
Dog assaults like the one Mr. Jones experienced are “too common,” according to North Wales Police.
According to PC Chris Jones of North Wales Police’s Rural Crime Team, “it is crucial to make sure pets are always kept on a lead and under control when out in the country, or if left at home alone, that the house or garden are secure.”
“The only person who can stop a dog from attacking is its owner, and if you can’t control your pet, you might end up paying the ultimate price.”
