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GRAPHIC CONTENT Dog attacks have again been reported in the Jellat Jellat area, this time resulting in the deaths of at least 20 sheep with another 30 unaccounted for by the time of publication. At the end of August, one family in the area lost several sheep in an attack that was identified by South East Local Land Services (LLS) to be the work of domestic dogs. Speaking on Wednesday, Philippa Russell said she and her husband Rob had heard of this earlier attack so had been keeping an eye on their flock of about 400 sheep, some that ran at their dairy farm at Jellat Jellat with the majority merino wethers kept at their property about 1km away on Black Range. About two or three weeks ago, Mr Russell went to check on their flock near the farm where he saw two dogs – one larger black dog and one smaller reddish one – attempting to harass their sheep, which were being protected by their alpaca. READ MORE: Horrific domestic dog attack at Jellat Jellat | Photos The dogs ran off when he approached and while two lambs were injured in the attack, they both survived and were recovering. About a week ago the Russells went to check on their flock at Black Range, where they found 12 sheep dead, eight so badly injured they had to be put down and five wounded but which survived. “They were all around the place, in the open. They’d obviously been scared,” Ms Russell said. “We’ve still got 30 to 40 missing in the bush. They’ve gone so far and wide we are still looking for those ones.” The animals had gashes to their face, and it appeared a dog had attacked their back legs before another went for the face. “When they bite off a nose or a mouth, the sheep have no chance at all and you’ve got to put them down,” Ms Russell said. READ MORE: Horror dog attack at Lochiel She estimated the attacks had cost her and her husband up to $6000, including the money they would have made from selling the wethers’ wool, extra hours of labour as well as the loss of the animals themselves. “There’s definitely an economic loss that we’ve suffered, but it’s not just that,” Ms Russell said. “It’s the disappointment and the grief we’ve got to go through to look after injured animals. “It goes against the grain for a farmer to see his stock injured in this way.” She had a message for owners of domestic dogs. “Make sure you know where they are at all times,” she said. Ms Russell said if dogs came onto their property again, they were willing to shoot them. READ MORE: Preventing dog attacks is everyone’s responsibility A South East LLS spokesperson said photos indicated it had been a “typical domestic dog attack”, but it was unknown how many were sheep killed in the attack or attacks as well as how many died due to injuries sustained in the attack. The style of the attack – biting the back heels and noses of the sheep – indicated the dog was not attempting to kill the animals, the spokesperson said, but helped suggest it was the work of domestic dogs. They said given the close proximity to the nearby flock that was attacked in August, it was possible all attacks were the work of the same animals, but there was “no way to say for sure as there was no sighting of the offending dog or dogs in the most recent attack”. “The likelihood of domestic dogs to attack livestock again would be high if they were allowed to roam,” the spokesperson said. They said it would be “pretty unusual” for wild dogs to be living in Jellat, as it was a semi-rural area where there were many houses, which added to the likelihood the attacks were the work of domestic dogs. The LLS installed MMS trail cameras at the Russells’ property to help identify the offending animals.

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