Four stray dogs in Tsholomnqa’s Twecu village have raised the ire of residents after killing over 100 sheep and goats.
The owner of the dogs is said to have died earlier this year.
Lindile Vusani has lost 42 sheep and 49 goats in the past three months.
“At first we used to think they were being stolen but upon investigation, we found that it was these dogs,” he said.
“There’s no one to look after them. They also come to the kraal and kill our animals. They can kill 12 per night. They also eat chickens. We have no control over this, so we really need help.”
Subsistence farmer Kanisile Mlonyeni said: “On Saturday they killed eight sheep from my kraal.”
He said their efforts to have the dogs captured have been futile.
“We put poisoned meat in the veld but that did not work. We also hired someone to hunt them, but they could not catch these dogs.”
Mlonyeni said in the past three months he lost 50 sheep.
He could not say how many goats had been killed.
“We live in worry the whole night. We have to constantly keep on checking the kraal at night,” Mlonyeni said.
“I usually sell these animals in December and slaughter one for my children when they are back for Christmas.”
The Daily Dispatch visited the village this week and was shown carcasses of the animals. Resident Nozuko Ndlovu said a meeting was held last week.
“We asked the youth on Monday to go and hunt for these dogs but they could not catch them. We need a helicopter; these dogs need to be shot,” Ndlovu said.
Nokwezi Qapetshu locks her sheep inside her house at night.
“I only have five sheep. When they killed one, and injured three, I decided to let them sleep inside the house.”
SPCA general manager Allen Westerberg said the dogs would have to be trapped.
“They can be caught by building a structure that would entice them. When dogs become rogue they become killers of livestock,” Westerberg said.
“It sort of becomes a game to them. The only thing to do to a dog like that is to put it down because it has already got that instinct to kill.
“The quicker they are caught, the better. It is not going to stop now. When stray dogs cause problems, more dogs join in.”
Westerberg said he would contact one of the villagers to discuss a way forward.
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