Authorities in WA’s South West have put down two dogs and fined their owner after a spate of serious attacks on livestock.
Key points:
- Dog attacks in the Collie area have killed animals on multiple properties
- Hobby farmer Rodney Swan lost 59 sheep in one attack
- The local council says two dogs have been destroyed and their owner fined
WARNING: This story contains images of dead and injured animals that some readers may find distressing**
Hobby farmer Rodney Swan said dogs were responsible for a severe attack on his property which killed 59 sheep and an emu.
The Shire of Collie said the attacks happened last month but did not reveal how much the owner was fined or the breed of the dogs.
A shire spokesperson said the fine “reflected the severity of the attacks”.
Mr Swan said he woke up on the morning of the incident to see his paddock and dam full of dead and dying animals.
“The faces were ripped from them, broken legs,” he said.
“[It’s] just unbelievable what a couple of dogs can do.”
He said he was forced to put down dozens of sheep, and was “really upset” about the emu’s death, as it was popular with local families.
“I just woke up in the morning and saw something floating in the dam, got the binoculars out and looked and there was sheep everywhere,” he said.
“Out of all of them there were only two that could stand up, the rest were just lying there.”
Mr Swan said he left the house with a rifle but the pair of dogs charged at him when he stepped outside – which forced him to take evasive action.
“I was trying to get a shot at them, but they were just too quick,” he said.
“Then I crouched down behind the gate because I feared for my own safety.”
He said two days later he helped a neighbour euthanise more sheep, after dogs attacked 19 animals on the property.
Mr Swan said it was the same dogs that killed his livestock.
He said in his 68 years living in Collie he had never witnessed such devastating attacks.
“The most I’ve ever lost before was 17, I’ve lost sixes and twos and fours,” he said.
“But I haven’t had any trouble for about six years, apart from foxes but not with dogs.
“It was really upsetting.”
Mr Swan said the public should learn from the incident and take precautions to ensure there were no further dog attacks.
“I don’t think people realise how much damage the dogs can actually do,” he said.
“They could pull you or me down.”
The Collie incident came a week after the nearby Murray and Waroona shires issued a joint statement urging dog owners to take responsibility for their animals.
It was prompted by a series of attacks on people and livestock, including one in Murray so serious it hospitalised a person for five days.
That dog’s owner was fined $3,000 plus court fees for the incident, according to the shire.
