'Alarming' increase of dog attacks against livestock in Snowy Monaro

There has been a concerning increase in the number of dog attacks against livestock in the Snowy Monaro this year, which has resulted in the death of numerous animals.

Local pet owners are now being urged to take greater care in ensuring their dogs are properly secured and controlled.

“These attacks are not just devastating for the animals involved, but also for our farmers who are already facing significant pressures,” Michele Rogers, the coordinator for public health and environment at Snowy Monaro Regional Council, said.

A council spokesperson said there was “an alarming increase” in the number of attacks on animals so far this financial year, 2024-2025, with 30 animal victims recorded since July 2024.

Over the 2023-2024 year, the total number of animal victims was 32.

There have also been attacks on people this year, but fortunately this has been limited to rushing, with no actual physical harm.

Four people have been attacked by dogs in the Snowy Monaro so far this year, while last year council recorded six human victims.

“It should be noted that the number of attacks on humans dropped by more than half from 2022/2023 to 2023/2024, when there was 15 attacks on humans recorded,” the council spokesperson said.

The council spokesperson said council had increased its surveillance and detection of issues which could precipitate dog attacks.

“This includes stopping and talking to people walking their dogs off leash and community education days,” they said.

“The attacks reported have been from domestic dogs, often in pairs. The dogs have caused several incidents resulting in the death of livestock.

“All attacks were preventable, had the owners of the dogs complied with legislation and kept their dogs contained at home.”

The spokesperson said most of the recent reports involving livestock resulted in the death of the attacking animals.

“The attacks being reported to council rangers are so violent in nature that the details cannot be shared publicly,” they said.

“The brutality of the attacks has been another factor which has also increased. Additionally, the total numbers of livestock being killed in the attacks has increased.

“The dogs are often shot dead by farmers/primary producers. In the instances where the attacking dogs have survived they were officially declared as dangerous.”

The spokesperson also said that with even minor bites, people attacked by dogs have to undergo medical treatment due to the health risks posed by bite wounds – especially from infection.

Dog owners are legally required to prevent their dogs from escaping their property.

Failure to comply with this law can result in significant fines and penalties, and in cases of serious attacks, dogs may be declared ‘nuisance’, ‘menacing’, or ‘dangerous’.

To help address this issue, council has now rolled out improved community education and informational resources on its website to help pet owners across the region do the right thing.

View the new update by clicking here. Residents are reminded that:

• Dogs must be microchipped, registered, and wear a collar displaying the owner’s contact details
• When off their property, dogs must be on a lead and under effective control, except in designated off-leash areas
• Any dog attacks should be reported immediately to council’s ranger services team on 1300 345 345.

For more information on responsible pet ownership or to report a dog attack, visit council’s website or contact its rangers at [email protected] and 1300 345 345.