3 February 2012

Digital cameras have been hidden in trees on a property near Howard in a bid to identify dogs that were killing sheep.

“One property owner has lost 23 sheep in a series of attacks,” Fraser Coast Regional Council Acting Director of Community and Development Andy Gaze said.

“One attack involved a pack of seven dogs while in another, a pack of nine dogs terrorised the sheep.”

Council Compliance Officers hope that pictures taken by the motion activated cameras will help identify the dogs.

“We hope to get enough detail to be able to identify the dogs or circulate their description to residents in the area,” Mr Gaze said.

“We might even get lucky and see if they have collars which would prove they are pets being allowed to roam.

“After one attack a collar was found on the ground but the tag was out of date and the owners had moved on.”

This is the first time Council has used the hidden cameras as part of a dog attack investigation.

“The images are date and time stamped so it will give us more information on dog movements,” Mr Gaze said.

“The images might also help determine whether the dogs are feral or roaming pets which helps us work out control strategies.”

While it is the responsibility of landowners to control feral animals, Council’s Vector and Pest Control unit can help.

“We encourage residents to report all feral animal activity, not just dog attacks,” Mr Gaze said.

By reporting sightings Council can identify problem areas, help landowners design eradication programs and help with trapping programs.