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Twenty heritage sheep were “ripped to bits” by dogs in Mamaku and their heartbroken owner says the “killing machines” could attack children next.
In October, 14 of Fiona Montgomerie’s rare arapawa sheep were “slaughtered” by dogs while grazing in an elderly neighbour’s paddock.
“Then we let our guard down and I put six more of my sheep in the same paddock because the elderly couple wanted their grass eaten down. And, hello, they got attacked again.”
The second attack was during the first weekend of February. Montgomerie was out of town for both attacks and the sheep’s remains were found by neighbours.
“They [the dogs] just ripped them to bits. Some of them weren’t dead and had to be put out of their misery.”
Montgomerie told the Rotorua Daily Post the sheep were “special” pets who would follow her about and eat pellets out of her hand.
“They’re arapawas, and they were actually a legacy. There was an elderly man that lived up there that died about five years ago, and he left me these sheep ... so there’s quite a significance to them.”
Arapawa sheep are classified as rare by Rare Breeds NZ and have lived on the tiny island of Arapawa, in the Marlborough Sounds, for at least 135 years. Their origin is disputed.
Montgomerie said it was “horrible to think about” what her sheep went through, “being cornered by these dogs and just being pulled to bits”.
“They’re not hungry, they’re not eating. They’re just doing it for sport,” she said.
“The first lot that got killed, I had my elderly ram, he was about 10, with massive big horns, and I could just imagine Dougal standing there trying to protect the rest of the flock. He wouldn’t have stood a chance because these dogs are just killing machines.
Fiona Montgomerie's pet arapawa sheep were attacked and killed by dogs in Mamaku.
“He was quite a spectacular boy. It just breaks my heart. Absolutely breaks my heart. And for them to come to that sort of end is absolutely deplorable.”
Montgomerie said she believed the two attacks were carried out by different dogs. She had been in contact with the “wonderful and supportive” Rotorua Lakes Council animal control team and said they had taken DNA samples.
Montgomerie said the animal control officer told her an estimated 90% of problem dogs were unregistered.
“Something needs to be done about it, some sort of taskforce needs to be put in place to deal with these unregistered dogs. I don’t have a solution, but if it’s them that’s causing the problem, it’s them that need to be dealt with.”
Montgomerie said she had a friend whose small elderly dog had been killed in its backyard a few weeks ago. Another friend watched her six sheep being killed from her bedroom window, she said.
“The scary thing is they get to the point where they’ll just attack anything ... potentially dogs that do this sort of thing will attack people as well.
“It wouldn’t be anything for them to go and grab a kid off a bike or something like that.”
Fiona Montgomerie's pet arapawa sheep were attacked and killed by dogs in Mamaku.
The attacks had flow-on effects, Montgomerie said. The elderly landowners had decided to pay for a lawn-mowing service because they were concerned about a repeat attack, which meant Montgomerie needed to find more grazing – although she said she would have been reluctant to place her remaining sheep there anyway.
A Rotorua Lakes Council spokesperson confirmed DNA samples were taken from the scene on February 1.
Two dog attacks have been reported in Mamaku since July 2024 and 161 have been reported across the Rotorua Lakes district.
“Roaming dogs is a significant problem and could lead to rushing or attacks on people or other animals,” the spokesperson said.
“Dogs attacking stock comes down to one simple thing, roaming dogs – and there isn’t a city or town in Aotearoa New Zealand that doesn’t have this issue.”
The spokesperson said the district was home to many great dog owners but some chose to let their dogs roam. This was “disappointing” because it put other animals and people at risk and could result in attacks, the spokesperson said.
“If you can’t commit to caring for a dog properly, please do not get one. We want to stress the importance of responsible dog ownership. Dogs must always be under their owner’s control as any dog can potentially attack people or animals if not properly managed.”
The spokesperson said anyone thinking of getting a dog should carefully consider whether they are ready for the responsibility.
“A dog can be a wonderful companion but love alone is not enough to keep a dog happy, healthy and out of trouble.
“We are asking dog owners to ensure their dogs are secure on their property at all times and under owners’ control when out in public, even in dog exercise parks.”
People seeing roaming dogs were asked to report them on 07 348 4199.
