Fears for kiwi after sheep killed by roaming dog in Kaitaia

The sight that greeted Betty Whangapirita when she went to check on her sheep. Picture / supplied

Betty Whangapirita has given her neighbours on Kaitaia's Quarry Rd a message — any dogs found on her property will be trapped and shot.

Whangapirita took that step after a dog killed four of her five sheep in the early hours of Thursday morning and left the sole survivor with a broken leg. Its future was to be assessed yesterday but the prognosis wasn't promising.

She had been woken by her own dog, which was kept inside the house at night, "but by then the sheep were probably already dead", she said.

She had heard the dog on her veranda, though, which made her uneasy. Later that day she contacted Far North District Council animal control, and dog traps had now been set up on the property.

"The dog control man was great," she added.

The sheep, which had been destined for the freezer over Christmas, would be replaced, and were not her major concern, however. It was the kiwi living in bush that reached to within a few metres of the house that worried Whangapirita.

Her own dog was shut indoors at sunset every day but the birds were obviously vulnerable to others that were allowed to roam at night.

"We're doing everything we can to protect the kiwi, so it's only fair to warn people what will happen to their dogs if they come here," she said.

"We've already found one dead kiwi. It was gutting. Letting dogs roam at night is really irresponsible, and selfish."

An owner of a dog which attacks stock can be fined up to $3000 and face up to three months' jail. They can be made to pay for any damage caused by the attack.