Owner of sheep-worrying dogs in court

Above: a German wire haired pointer

A Macclesfield woman has been ordered to pay more than £3,000 in compensation after her dogs killed a flock of sheep.

Ellie Blake, 60, claimed she did not know her two German wirehaired pointers had killed 15 sheep and lambs until she returned home and police officers came to her home.

Kettleshulme farmer, Graham Ford, was alerted by a neighbour about the attack and witnessed two dogs working together to systematically kill his livestock.

They fired warning shots, which were ignored by the dogs so they were left with no alternative but to shoot both dogs to prevent further loss of animals.

Ten sheep were killed by the two dogs and another five had to be put down owing to the extent of their injuries.

Blake claimed that both dogs were professionally trained and she had not previously had any issues with them.

Blake pleaded guilty to being the owner of two dogs worrying livestock and being owner of dogs dangerously out of control.

As well as the £3,160.80 compensation Blake was ordered to pay £860 in fines and costs. However, the court stopped short of banning her from keeping animals.

Blake’s lawyer Isabel Thomas said: ‘She has always expressed her shock and horror at the way that two dogs behaved.

When interviewed by police she said if the dogs had behaved in such a way then the farmers did the right thing.

The Kennel Club describes the German wirehaired pointer as a medium sized hunting dog, with characteristics of being a ‘powerful, strong, versatile hunting dog’ which ‘excels in both field and water’ and ‘loyal, intelligent, [of] sound temperament and alert’.