Two domestic dogs that killed a flock of lambs at Lismore’s Kadina High School on Tuesday morning had escaped an electric fence at the property where they were being held.
Agriculture students lost 13 lambs in the attack, which they had been raising as part of a school project.
The dogs’ owners will be almost $6,000 poorer as a result of the attack, which has resulted in the two animals being euthanised.
The microchipped dogs were seized at the site of the attack, and on Wednesday morning rangers visited the home of the dog owners.
They had made attempts to keep the dogs contained in the yard using an electric fence but during wet weather the dogs had been able to dig under the fence and escaped.
The owners, who said they were devastated with what had happened, signed surrender forms for both the animals and paid a $374 surrender fee to Lismore council.
The dogs have since been euthanised and the owners served with fines totalling $2,849 have now been issued.
If the matter had gone to court, the maximum penalty for each dog attack is $22,000 or imprisonment for two years, or both .
But a Lismore council spokesperson said the offence was considered ‘not in the worst category of dog attack offences, and having considered all of the circumstances, the fine amount was considered to be comparable to the penalty if the matter went to court.’
‘The owner knows the devastation this has caused to the students, and has also agreed voluntarily to pay compensation directly to Kadina High School which is likely to total around $3,000,’ she added.
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