General News
8 June, 2024
A year on, couple waits for dog attack answers
CONFRONTING scenes of sheep laying still and lifeless after an alleged dog attack triggered emotional memories for Rachel Taylor and Dave Wilkinson last Friday. The Inglewood couple is still traumatised by the loss of 23 dorper sheep at the Wet Lane...
CONFRONTING scenes of sheep laying still and lifeless after an alleged dog attack triggered emotional memories for Rachel Taylor and Dave Wilkinson last Friday.
The Inglewood couple is still traumatised by the loss of 23 dorper sheep at the Wet Lane paddock where the animals had been grazing.
Rachel and Dave said they received phone calls from family and friends on May 31, 2023 telling of the attack.
“We arrived to find total devastation ... dead and dying sheep and dead dogs,” they said.
Rachael and Dave said the boxer or boxer-cross dogs had been shot when they returned to pick over the bodies of the sheep.
“We have had sheep for 14 years. only a small flock and more pets like for us. Only a fortnight before had taken the older sheep to our home, 60 of them,” they said.
The couple ran the sheep for meat and to supplement the income from their four jobs.
But last Friday, they were again distraught. Still waiting for word on whether the dog owners had paid a Loddon Shire fine or been prosecuted.
Rachael and Dave said the one-year value of sheep killed in the alleged attack was $8000 and they were yet to pay a local contractor $600 for digging a pit where the sheep were buried at Wet Lane.
“The contractor has been very understanding and knows we are waiting on an outcome of the matter,” Rachael said.
Rachael and Dave said they had been in regular contact with Loddon Shire for progress reports on the case.
“We feel like we are at the bottom of the pile and everything has gone stagnant,” Dave said.
Rachael said: “Dave and I always stated we were willing to negotiate as accidents happen.
“After council communicated to us weekly with phone calls and emails, it dropped off pretty quickly to monthly emails and only after I had emailed them.
“The sheep we lost in the attack had been the product of 14 years of breeding.
“We had vaccinated, wormed, tagged, fed and hand raised some of them. We only had a small flock which may seem unimportant to some but they were important to us. They provided income, future and past, food for our family and they should have been safe and there should be repercussions when they weren’t.
“I still cry often, have nightmares, guilt and anxiety over what could have been done differently, the horror of their last few hours. There is mental stress and anxiety for all that were there that day. I’m still scared to put stock back on that property even though it was one bad thing in 18 years.”
Loddon Shire said fines had been issued to the dog owner.