The owner of a Muttontown lifestyle block is angry about losing five in-lamb ewes this week, after they were savaged by dogs.
"I think dog owners need to be a bit more vigilant about where their dogs are," Phil Bradley said.
Mr Bradley has a 3.2ha property at Muttontown, near Clyde, and said two of his nine ewes were killed by a dog or dogs overnight on Sunday, and three other ewes were so badly injured they had to be put down.
"The back leg of one of the sheep had been eaten and all the ewes had been rattled up and had wool missing.
"Someone's dog must've arrived home on Sunday night or Monday morning covered in blood."
The ewes were about to start lambing and usually produced twins so the loss amounted to between $1000 and $1500, he said.
"It looks like I'll have to buy sheep for my freezer this year."
Last year he lost four lambs to dogs, so he was concerned the problem was escalating.
He had contacted the Central Otago District Council's dog control officer.
Any dogs found worrying stock on his property would be shot, Mr Bradley said.
