Courtney Steel: Bloody husky kills two sheep in Skye farm attack

While a Skye woman was busy at work her husky dug under a gate. The next time the hound was seen it was covered in the blood of a dead sheep.

Courtney Steel’s husky attacked and killed two sheep.

A husky which escaped from a back yard was found by a passer-by covered in blood standing over a slaughtered sheep, a court has heard.

Another sheep was also discovered at the same Skye farm in a critical condition and had to be put down.

Dog owner Courtney Steel pleaded guilty to animal attack charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Frankston Council prosecutor Bruce Gardiner told the court on February 6 this year a witness saw a big white and grey dog attacking sheep.

He went to try and help and came across a Siberian husky covered in blood stood next to a deceased sheep.

He then saw another sheep that had obviously been mauled by the dog in a very precarious state.

That animal had to be euthanised due to its injuries.

Council rangers came to the site and rounded up the female husky, taking it to their pound.

Officers then rang Steel and she admitted her hound had got out and had attacked the two sheep.

Mr Gardiner said the two animals were valued at $500, an amount of compensation the sheep owner was happy with.

Steel, 37 from Skye, told the court she was at work when her husky had got out by digging under a gate.

When she came home her pet was gone, and the family went looking for her but couldn’t find her.

She said she then got a call from the council saying her husky had been put in the pound.

“Basically it was my fault,” Steel said.

“I had moved a piece of fencing and that gave her opportunity to get under the gate.”

Since then she had put concrete underneath so the husky would not be able to dig under it again, and said she would pay any fees to get her dog back.

The council did not apply for any order to have the dog put down.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said such cases were difficult because people weren’t necessarily criminals, they were just negligent or careless.

“But sometime the consequences can be catastrophic,” Mr Lethbridge said.

“Two sheep have been killed.

“The costs, the financial liability, is significant.”

Steel was ordered to pay just over $2400 in pound and court fees to the council and compensation of $500 to the sheep owner.

She was also placed on a good behaviour bond for a year.