A Co. Galway sheep farmer has said that the “tranquility and relaxation” of his farming life has been lost, after two separate dog attacks in 24 hours this week resulted in the loss of 38 ewes and lambs.
Christopher Rock last saw his sheep before the attacks on Monday morning last (May 8).
Speaking to Agriland, he said: “On the Monday, I checked the sheep at 8:30a.m in the morning. They were fine, everything was fine. I gave them a bit of meal and went about my business for the day.”
He returned to his house in the afternoon had noticed that something wasn’t right.
“The post had been delivered at about 3:30p.m, and I was just getting it off the porch, and I looked down across the land and I could see something down in around the trees,” Christopher said.
He went on: “The first ewe I saw, it had no marks on it, it must have died of a heart attack or something, and I didn’t know, and I was like ‘have I fluke’, because she was a good, fat healthy ewe.”
But when he looked around the field, it soon became apparent what had happened.
Christopher, who farms in the Peterswell area of south Co. Galway, said: “The next thing, I looked over across and I could see a lamb sitting covered in blood, siting beside a ewe that was just pulled asunder, and then I knew I was in trouble.”
In this first attack, four ewes were killed, while another four were put down by the vet. As well as that, two lambs were killed.
The Gardaí were called, and the sheep were moved to another field.
From the initial discovery of the first attack, Christopher was with the sheep for around 12 hours. The vet left his farm at around 7:30p.m.
He said: “I watched them until about 3:30a.m [Tuesday morning, May 9]. I just kept an eye. Nothing was happening so I said I’d go back and get a bit of shut-eye.
“I had to go into Gort [Co. Galway] to give a statement [to the Gardaí] at 7:00a.m, and I said I would go over and check the sheep, and when I went over at 6:30a.m the sheep were in ribbons – absolute ribbons.”
This second attack occurred in the three-hour spell in which Christopher had decided to get some sleep.
In the second attack, 11 ewes were killed, six more had to be put down, and 11 more lambs were killed.
This brought the total number of dead sheep to 38 across the two attacks – 25 ewes and 13 lambs.
In terms of the monetary loss, Christopher estimates this to be at least €5,000.
However, that figure “is not counting the feed and money that was put into them to raise the lambs”.
The situation has left the Co. Galway farmer unsure over the future of his farm.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, because I’m at my wit’s end. I can’t relax, I can’t go anywhere or do anything. It happened in the day and it happened at night. You’re totally exposed,” he said.
Christopher, who is 35, took over the farm in 2015 after the death of his father.
This year, he had crossed Blackfaces with Texels, and was very happy with the resulting lambs.
“It went well for me and I was delighted with it, and [the sheep] were happy enough… I was happy with the way things were working out.”
Christopher had some 98 ewes before the attack, saying: “It’s not a huge farm”.
“It’s something I do because I love it. And I love the sheep. It’s tranquility. On a beautiful day like today, you’re looking down across the land, and you couldn’t be in a better place. But at the minute that’s gone,” he said.
“You’re looking at an animal that you’re trying to give a good life to and you don’t know whether it’s going to meet its doom in 10 minutes, in an hour, in a week.”
“It’s terrible because the dogs haven’t been got, and you’re just waiting for them. They’ll be back again,” he added.
Gardaí have confirmed to Agriland that they are making enquiries into the incident.
However, Christopher is not confident that the dogs will be found.
“All people have to do is say the dog was at home, or that they have no dog. You’re relying on someone to be decent,” he said.
“If someone slipped a piece of paper into the letterbox, and it was anonymous, and it said ‘it was our dog and we’ve put it down’, I’d be happy.
“It’s shocking, because it’s hard enough as it is as a standalone event if I had closure on it, but it’s not over for me know, because I’m up every night and the minute you hear a bit of noise you’re gone out,” the Co. Galway man added.
He said: “I have no gun, so I’m relying on the neighbours if I see something to ring them, and by the time they get there, will the rest of my sheep that I have left here be slaughtered. That’s the problem.
“I’ve heard of it and I’ve read of it, and I’d often say to my wife wouldn’t you just hate it, imagine all the poor creatures. And then to go and see that myself. You wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Christopher added.