Dog impounded over sheep attacks

A dog killed two sheep on a farm on the northern outskirts of Dargaville on Thursday.

Kaipara District Council has taken in a dog that may be responsible for up to two attacks on stock near Dargaville.

A large mastiff-type dog was discovered early on Thursday after it had killed two sheep and mauled three others belonging to Dargaville farmer Vern Suckling.

Mr Suckling and his wife were woken about 5am by a loud crash outside their home on Colville Rd, on the northern outskirts of Dargaville.

When he got outside he realised the dog had knocked over a large plant pot as it was mauling a sheep that had managed to escape the devastation in the paddock.

''It had bailed the sheep up against the house and was having a go at her when it must have knocked the plant pot over. The sheep had managed to escape from the paddock and [the dog] must have followed her to have another go,'' Mr Suckling said.

When he went to look in the paddock between the house and State Highway 12 it contained two other sheep that were dead and two more that had been badly mauled.

A spokesman for the KDC said the council had received another report of a dog attacking stock in the same area and yesterday afternoon a dog was seized from a house in the area and taken to its pound.

The spokesman said an investigation was under way to see if it was the dog involved in either or both attacks.

Owners of dogs involved in a serious attack on stock can be prosecuted and dogs may be impounded and/or put down if they attack people or animals.