Children's pet sheep killed in weekend attack in Little River, Canterbury

Warning: Distressing content

"They're a pack of thieving pigs."

That's the view of angry Little River builder Danny Bulman who woke on Saturday to find three of his family's pet sheep had been slaughtered for meat and the lambs inside them discarded on the ground.

About 20 of the sheep had been grazing in the stockyards next to the Banks Peninsula Rugby Club near the corner of SH75 and Western Valley Rd.

Bulman said all three were pregnant with twins, so now not only has he lost three pets, he has lost six future pets as well.

"I would love to catch the bastards," Bulman said.

He made a point of hanging the guts on the fence to make everyone aware what had happened, he has since cleaned it up.

It's believed that the killing happened over Friday night or early Saturday morning, police said.

His children, who are 7 and 5, are also sad at the loss of their pets.

"They know they are gone, but they don't know really how," he said.

He has been around all the neighbours and to the local pub to try to find the person or persons responsible for the deaths.

"There have been quite a few go missing over the past few years. I won't be putting my sheep back down there again," he said.

His father has a lease deal with the stockyards to keep animals in there to keep the grass down.

"Whoever has done it knew what they were doing," he said.

The police are also making inquiries.

Senior Constable Tim Johnston said if anyone has any information they can phone 363 7400 and ask to be put through to the Akaroa Police Station.