Prunedale resident says wild dogs attacked, killed flock of sheep
Prunedale sheep and dairy farmer, Rebecca King, was shocked after finding that 10 of her sheep had been brutally attacked, Thursday morning. A total of five sheep died after their utters had been completely torn off. “In ten years we’ve occasionally lost a small animal, like a lamb to a coyote, but we’ve never had a large group of animals injured like that, all at once,” said King.
King initially thought the attacker was a mountain lion, but something told her this was different. After seeing that her sheep were just attacked, and not eaten, led her to believe the flock was targeted by a pack of wild dogs. King took photos of paw prints found in the dirt, the morning after the attack.
“Our animals all have names. We milk them for many years. We milk them twice a day, every day. Just seeing the animals harmed is very upsetting,” said King.
Not only is it heartbreaking, but King said this is a major financial loss for the farm. She said they just reached the start of milking season, and will have to make due with the small flock she has left.
“They just lambed recently, so we lost not only the animal, but a whole season worth of milk. Each animal is probably about a $600 loss for me. Including having the vet come out, it’s probably about $3,000,” said King.
King fears the pack of dogs may even come back. She has already installed additional electric fencing to guard the sheep at night, in addition to her two great pyrenees, trained to protect them. “Up until this point, I’ve been very happy with the dogs helping to keep our flock safe, but it looks like I’m going to need more than two dogs,” said King.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reviewed the paw prints, and said they resemble those of a dog, but are unsure if they belong to a coyote or a wild dog.