Maungatūroto farmer Rex Roadley is giving irresponsible dog owners the hard word to keep their canines under control after more than 100 of his sheep were mauled by wandering dogs. Photo / supplied
Maungatūroto farmer Rex Roadley is giving irresponsible dog owners the hard word to keep their canines under control after more than 100 of his sheep were mauled by wandering dogs. Photo / supplied
A Maungatūroto farmer is standing up against lackadaisical dog owners after more than 100 of his sheep - some of a prized breed - were mauled by wandering canines.
Rex Roadley's message is simple: "If you have a dangerous dog, have it on a lead, have it under control."
Fifty-sixsheep died as a result of the attack. Some were dead "on the spot" and others had to be euthanised later.
"In a lot of the cases, their ears were torn off. Some were attacked around the legs, hamstrung, they couldn't walk," Roadley said.
Sixty-seven others were injured and treated, with Roadley hoping "they'll pull through".
The 66-year-old cattle and sheep farmer says a week ago a family member driving onto their farm spotted a couple of sheep on the side of the road bleeding from their ears.
She immediately went home and retrieved her partner, who rallied Roadley, and together the trio went to investigate.
They discovered a pair of canines, that Roadley guessed were pig dogs, in the same paddock as some sheep.
"One of the sheep in the paddock was dead and there were 10 injured sheep. Two had of them had to be put down they were so severely injured."
Farmer Rex Roadley stands next to the mass grave of sheep killed after an attack by two wandering dogs. Photo / supplied
Among the fatalities were two pure-bred Beltex ram lambs due to be sold in November and three surrogate ewes impregnated with Beltex embryos imported from the UK.
"One of the ewes was dead. The other two were put down by the advice of the vet," Roadley said.
The full-time farmer calculated a financial loss of up to $25,000 because of the deaths. He said Beltex sheep had fetched a New Zealand price tag of up to $22,000.
While cattle farming formed the majority of Roadley's income, sheep farming contributed around $100,000 to his annual earnings.
"People are going to have to stand up and call out owners who don't take responsibility for their dogs."
Roadley confirmed that the dogs that attacked his sheep were shot.
He likened the issue of canine control to guns - dogs in the right hands weren't a problem but when in the wrong hands they became dangerous.
The last time the veteran farmer had stock attacked by dogs was three years ago but since then he had heard of other farms suffering a similar experience.
A veterinary clinic in the Maungatūroto area told the Advocate they hadn't seen an increase in the number of injuries to animals because of dog attacks. They believed incidents of that nature remained "uncommon".
The Kaipara District Council's Animal Management Report for 2020-2021 noted a 24 per cent decrease in dog attacks in the area overall.
Previously the council had received a high number of complaints about owners not keeping their dogs under control, not picking up after their dogs, or who allowed their dogs to wander the streets.
They responded with proactive patrols by Animal Management Officers, where they praised people doing the right thing and educated those who were not.
Darlene Lang, General Manager of Customer Experience, said the council's focus on education paid off.
"We're still finding the right balance between carrot and stick. We've seen great results from education and that will continue.
"However, when people know the requirements and repeatedly ignore them, infringements can be a powerful motivator," Lang said.
The number of infringement notices issued last year was double that of 2020 and most were for not registering dogs.
On July 1, a restored old animal shelter is set to become operational.
"Of the 32 dogs impounded during the year [2021], we were able to return 15 to their owners and rehome a further six," Lang said.
Kaipara District Council's team of Animal Management Officers urged anyone who witnesses dangerous or aggressive behaviour by any dogs to report it immediately on 0800 727 059. If safe to do so, they also ask people to take a photo of the offending dog.
"If we have enough evidence of an aggressive dog we will make every attempt to locate and impound it."
An investigation then takes place and, depending on the findings, the dog may either be returned with conditions, euthanised or the owner may be prosecuted/infringed.
