Massacre at Mountain Glen

Yesterday, I was looking out my window, as I often do, and noticed a couple of animals running oddly.  I grabbed the binoculars and was able to ascertain that what I had thought to be a couple of calves were a couple of dogs.

I was home alone.  I had to get down to the livestock. 

Quickly, I grabbed my camera and phone, ran outside to the ATV, and took off down the hill.  I had contemplated a gun, but not only can I not shoot, I also do not know how to load a gun - my misfortune.

Halfway to my destination, I could see Jenny the donkey chasing the dogs followed by about 10 cows.

Reaching the gate to the pasture that currently houses the flerd, I dismounted the 4-wheeler and continued on foot.  Within seconds, I came upon a downed lamb - breathing, but with its neck badly injured. I called Glenn to inform him of the situation.  I continued.  A few more feet…a full grown ewe - breathing, but with its neck bleeding profusely with a dozen or more gaping holes.  She had been surrounded by a group of cows as if they were protecting her; then, wandered off when I arrived, and again circled her as I walked on.  I made a second call to Glenn. This particular ewe was still thickly covered in dense hair.  A gob of hair, ripped from her neck, lay at her side.  Blood dripped from each wound.

I continued to the end of this pasture to where I initially saw the dogs; two more sheep, both dead, with severe neck injuries.  Within feet of my location, I saw a dog peering at me through the rails of a nearby gate. The head was massive. That damn dog was watching me.  I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo.  I saw the second dog as they both ran through the tall grass.  I watched and took more photos as the dogs ran away from me, uphill, and across the property line onto the neighbors. They stopped halfway up the hill so I was able to get a fairly decent photo; wishing I had that telephoto lens and wishing I had a gun and knew how to shoot.  Those dogs should be shot.  I was lucky that I was not attacked; and, with no gun to protect myself. What was I thinking???

I called Glenn again and he was able to give me the neighbor’s phone number.  I scratched the number with a rock into the hard ground beneath me so that I would not forget the number.  I called, but there was no answer.  Within minutes, he did call me back.  I gave him the story and asked about his dogs.  Not his dogs; one was injured, so they were both inside for days.  He suggested wolves?  No, not wolves and I got the pictures to prove it. But, once I mentioned the Rottweiler-like statute, he hesitantly mentioned that he would ask his neighbor.

Glenn and Becky left their off-farm work, where they were making a repair at one of our rentals, and shortly joined me in the pasture.  Glenn soon found another dead ewe. 

We called the county sheriff’s department and the Animal Control Officer was dispatched to review the situation and to get the details.  Leaving us, she said she would try to find the dogs and get the owner to relinquish them to her.

The dogs will come back if given a chance.  And, they could attack a human as well as livestock.  What was I thinking arming myself with a camera and phone; helpful, but not very sensible.

I later e-mailed my dog photos to Animal Control as directed.  Once viewed on the computer, there is no doubt about the identity of the dogs. 

The rest of the evening was tense.  We brought the two injured sheep up to the barn and doused their wounds with iodine.  A call to the vet gave us further instruction as to the best treatment - flush with lots of water.  Every time we heard a sheep baa, we were down the hill even though there were no strange sounds during the attack.  If I had not seen the dogs, I would not know that there was any problem.  I do not recall hearing the dogs, only seeing them running around.

Now, it is the next morning.  I have yet to check on the sheep in the barn.  I have yet to check on the sheep in the pasture.  I am leery as to what I might find. 

We are waiting to hear back from Animal Control.  We are hoping that she tells us she has everything under control.

Last week when our power was out for two days, Glenn said that was a wake-up call to be prepared for future incidences.  This dog attack…he said was my wake-up call to learn to load and shoot a gun.  I believe he is correct.  I need to be able to protect myself and our livestock in future, similar circumstances.

Peace on the farm…well, most of the time.

P.S.  I have photos of the dead and injured sheep, but they are so disgusting, I opted not to include them here.  At 7:00 PM, the injured sheep are not faring well.  Also, we have not heard anything back from Animal Control.  And, upon viewing my photos, the neighbor thinks one of the dogs was a Mastiff.