Margaret Varney, 80, is still reeling after her entire flock of 12 chickens were killed by roaming dogs at her Hairini property. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Margaret Varney, 80, is still reeling after her entire flock of 12 chickens were killed by roaming dogs at her Hairini property. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Warning: Distressing content.
An elderly woman whose 12 chickens died in a series of brutal dog attacks has been left traumatised and “bereft” by their loss, her daughter says.
The dozen chickens in 80-year-old Margaret Varney’s flock are among the 64 chickens killed in two weeks by suspected roaming dogs.
Tauranga City Council says it has launched an investigation into these attacks, all of which were reported in an area bounded by Kaitemako and Ohauiti Rds in the Welcome Bay/Hairini area.
A heartbroken Varney, whose Hairini property backs on to rural Transpower-owned land, told the Bay of Plenty Times that when she went to feed her flock of 12 chickens on July 22, she found three badly mauled bodies with feathers everywhere, and another three chickens missing.
During the following 10 days, Varney said her remaining six chickens were gradually “picked off” – most left with “gaping wounds” and covered in blood, and one had its neck completely severed.
Varney said she did not hear the attacks, despite the chicken coop being about 20m from her home, and her dog had not shown any signs of hearing anything out of the ordinary.
She usually heard loud clucking if a dog or feral cat visited the property, she said.
A distraught Margaret Varney leaning against her empty chicken coop after dogs killed her 12 chickens. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Varney said the impact of these attacks was hard to put into words.
“My chickens were quite tame and great companions, I feel a bit empty. When I went to feed them, they would always come to meet me and cluster around my feet. They were great layers too. To be murdered in this way is shocking and heartbreaking.
“That’s what this is - the murder of my defenceless poor chickens by killer dogs. I fear that next time it could be a vicious attack on a child.”
Varney pleaded with anyone who knew the dogs responsible for the deaths of her birds or saw roaming dogs in the area, to call the council.
Margaret Varney, 80, with some of her flock of chickens before they were killed by roaming dogs. Photo / Fiona Robinson
Varney’s daughter Fiona Robinson said the loss of her entire flock had left her mother traumatised and “bereft”.
“It’s just a horrible thing to happen to anyone. Mum wants to replace the chickens at some stage, but I’m worried that if she does the same thing could happen again.”
She said her mother was “quite frail” and feared if the attack dogs returned she might be harmed.
“Mum’s chickens were expert layers and the eggs they all produced were amazing.”
Varney said she and her mother were zero-waste enthusiasts and had always fed the chickens their vegetable scraps.
She said she had reported the attacks to the council and the police but was informed at this stage it was not a police matter.
Similar reports of dog attacks on chickens in the same area were shared on social media.
A Facebook post from one woman said she had lost 19 of her “beautiful heritage chickens” on July 30 after two dogs dug under the coop fencing, and she feared they would return to kill her remaining seven chickens.
Another person said two dogs “wiped out” their 22 chickens.
Tauranga City Council's animal services team leader Brent Lincoln. Photo / Alex Cairns
The council’s animal services team leader Brent Lincoln said the council was investigating four attacks on chickens in the area, resulting in the deaths of 64 chickens.
Lincoln said the chicken owners and witnesses to these attacks had been spoken to, and dog traps had been placed at the properties where chickens survived.
He said he hoped to match DNA swabs from some of the dead chickens to any suspect dogs, however, the dogs in two of the four attacks were not seen.
Lincoln said council staff visited properties in the lower Kaitemako Rd area during their investigations and picked up several unregistered dogs.
“While we have a couple of leads, at this stage, it is unclear where the attack dogs have come from and whether they are the same dogs in all the attacks.”
He said dog owners had a legal responsibility to ensure their dogs could not roam, and if a dog was caught roaming its owner faced a fine of up to $3000 and their pet impounded at an initial cost of $100 followed by a daily fee of $16.
Lincoln urged anyone whose pets were attacked by dogs to call the council immediately. Anyone who saw roaming dogs should take a photo or record a video, if safe to do so, and also contact the council straight away.
“To help us with this, if anyone’s pet is deceased, please keep it in a cool area like the garage until we have taken a DNA sample.”
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She covers mainly police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
