- WARNING: Graphic images
- Police investigate the deaths of eight sheep and 20 lambs at the hands of a wild dog
A dog killed 45 sheep in a bloody attack as the farmer who found their dead and mutilated bodies says the gruesome discovery was “absolutely traumatic”.
Police are investigating after eight sheep and 20 lambs died in the savage incident at a farm in Lamerton, near Tavistock, Devon, overnight on Sunday.
Another 13 sheep and four lambs were savagely attacked and had to be put down due to their brutal injuries.
And 14 lambs were orphaned, with only four of those attacked surviving the devastating brutality.
Farmer Ali Dawe said the dog attacked three fields and the woolly mammals’ faces were mangled when he found them.
He believes it could have been the work of more than one large dog involved and has found four-inch-wide paw prints from the dogs, as well as DNA.
Mr Dawe said: “Those dogs would have been very, very tired with blood on their faces.”
Farmer Ali Dawe said the dog attacked three fields and the woolly mammals’ faces were mangled when he found them.
Police are investigating after eight sheep and 20 lambs died in the savage incident at a farm in Lamerton, near Tavistock, Devon, overnight on Sunday.
Another 13 sheep and four lambs were savagely attacked and had to be put down due to their brutal injuries.
He believes it could have been the work of more than one large dog involved and has found four-inch-wide paw prints from the dogs, as well as DNA.
“We were absolutely mortified, we didn’t understand it at first. We had to put some sheep out of their misery.
Some were rare breeds and bloodlines are lost. We have to replace them for an incident that should not have happened.
“We’ve taken DNA from the puncture wounds – it’s never been done before, so we’re hoping we can prove it was done by a dog.”
The farmer explained that the innocent animals had been chased across the three fields and that the brutalized sheep were trapped in gates and hedges through which they had tried to escape.
Mr Dawe suspects the vicious dogs were not locked up that night and now fears they may return.
He continued: “It’s very, very emotional, just thinking about those poor mothers protecting their little lambs.
“They were all facial attacks and many were still alive, that’s the horrible thing, they did everything they could to protect their young.
“It’s like a game for these animals (dogs) – it’s over 50 acres and they were scattered everywhere over streams, hedges, fences and gates.”
Farmer Ali Dawe (pictured) said the dog attacked three fields and the woolly mammals’ faces were mangled when he found them.
14 lambs were orphaned and only four of those attacked survived the devastating brutality.
The farmer explained that the innocent animals had been chased across three fields and that the mistreated sheep had been trapped in gates and hedges through which they had tried to escape.
Mr Dawe suspects the vicious dogs were not locked up that night and now fears they may return. Pictured: surviving sheep
Police say it is believed the sheep were attacked by one or more dogs and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Dartmoor livestock protection officer Karla McKechnie said it was the worst attack she had ever seen and told how the incident left her “disgusted”.
“I’ve been doing this job for a while and I’ve had to deal with some major attacks, but I have to say this is the best of all,” he told bbc.
‘I don’t even feel angry, I feel sad and disgusted when a farmer calls you and doesn’t know which way to go.
“It’s a carnage and I feel desperate for them, absolutely desperate.”