Tensions are high in the tiny farming community of Cobble Hill after two dogs were shot and killed Sunday morning for attacking sheep.
“From what I’ve seen, there is a lot of upset because nobody knows the real circumstances here,” Cobble Hill director Mike Wilson said Wednesday. “We are a rural community. We’ve got farmers who need to protect what they’ve got. At the same time, we need to look after our animals. My wife and I are both dog lovers. When we looked at this, we were very upset, obviously. From our point of view, I’m sure there are other people feeling exactly the same way.”
A Cobble Hill resident reported his two dogs missing just before 9:30 Sunday morning to ROAM, which helps to locate missing animals.
The owner told ROAM the dogs had been missing for less than an hour, but he was concerned because he had only moved to Cobble Hill on Jan. 1 and the dogs were unfamiliar with the area.
ROAM created a Facebook post with a photo of the dogs, a pit bull called Freckles and a Rottweiler called Skye.
In response, several people in the neighbourhood posted sightings of the dogs, which ROAM relayed to the owner.
Shortly after, the organization received a text from the owner saying his dogs had been shot. One was dead and the other died en route to the vet in Langford.
ROAM turned off comments on the post, saying: “We know there are going to be very, very, very strong feelings regarding this.”
The file remains under investigation by Shawnigan Lake RCMP, said Cpl. Alex Berube.
In a statement, the RCMP said they received a report of dogs roaming at large without an owner and allegedly attacking sheep on Cobble Hill Road, and the owner of the livestock subsequently shot both dogs.
“Tragically, both dogs suffered fatal injuries and at least one sheep will likely need to be euthanized due to the extent of its injuries,” the statement said.
Berube said the injured sheep had its ears torn off and a large gash in the throat. Two sheep ending up being euthanized.
The RCMP noted that under the Livestock Act, owners of livestock are authorized to protect it under specific circumstances, “such as in this case.”
Wilson said he’s not sure how long the RCMP will take to investigate, but he is hoping more information about what happened will come out.
“It needs to be out there. As a farming community, there are sheep, there are goats, there are llamas, there are ducks, geese, chickens, everything out there and lots of cows. So the farmers are obviously worried about the safety of their animals from being chased, especially if it’s a cow or any animal that’s in season or expecting. It seems almost as if, clash is not the right word, but a difference of community.”
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