news, local-news, Bill Little, Wollondilly, Orangeville, dog attack, Wollondilly Council

Bill Little started out with six sheep and a goat – he now has only one sheep left. The Orangeville resident said his small flock had been picked off and killed one by one by a dog who lived on a neighbouring property. “We know who the dog belongs too, we have contacted council and we have pictures of it attacking my sheep and heading back home,” Mr Little said. “In the past six months we have lost all of our sheep except the ram – because he chases the dog. “We have lost mothers and babies.” Mr Little captured pictures of the dog responsible for the attacks. He said he was concerned the dog may be causing damage at other people’s properties. “The dog roams all day and who knows how far it goes?” he said. “The dog should be locked up or kept in a fenced environment. “We’ve had dogs wander onto our property before but this is the first time one of them has killed a sheep. “We’ve lived here for 18 years and we have never had a problem like this before. “We take care of our animals. “Wollondilly Council needs to act on these things before it’s too late, before another animal gets killed.” Mr Little submitted his photographs to the council and has lodged a formal complaint. Earlier this year, the council launched an investigation into reports of domestic dog attacks across the region. Wollondilly Council’s manager of compliance Robyn Cooper told the Advertiser in July that the council took all dog attack reports seriously. “Attacks on livestock are most commonly carried out by dogs that have not been adequately contained within their own property,” she said. Ms Cooper said the owner of a dog who allowed it to attack was responsible for the cost of veterinary treatment for the affected animals. “Dog attacks from wild or domestic dogs can have a negative impact on farmers, both financially and emotionally,” she said. “It is estimated to cost farmers thousands of dollars each year in lost income and is extremely distressing for the livestock involved.” Great Sydney Local Land Services general manager David Hogan said he supported the council’s decision to launch an investigation. “Local Land Services applauds the efforts of Wollondilly Council to reduce the impacts of domestic dog attacks on livestock in the area,” he said. “We encourage landholders to contact council should domestic dogs be involved with attacks on livestock on their property." RELATED CONTENT:

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