Farmer’s gun licence suspended after shooting dogs that attacked sheep

A Tallarook farmer’s firearms licence has been suspended after he was charged with “unlawfully” shooting dogs that attacked his sheep.

Tallarook farmer Denis Leahy’s firearms licence has been suspended after he was charged with “unlawfully” shooting a nearby property’s dogs that attacked and killed his sheep last September.

The suspension means Mr Leahy has been left powerless to stop further attacks, despite locals posting images of two young dogs wandering along the Tallarook-Pyalong Rd near his farm last Friday, which they say came from a nearby property linked to the original attack.

Images of the dogs were sent to the owner of a nearby property, who locals allege lodged the original complaint against Mr Leahy that led Mitchell Shire Council to charge him for unlawfully shooting two of her other dogs last September.

But the property owner did not respond to calls or texts and The Weekly Times has not otherwise been able to verify locals’ claims.

Mitchell Shire’s case against Mr Leahy appears to hinge on the argument that the dogs were not “at large” when he shot them last year.

The Weekly Times understands Mr Leahy was able to stop last September’s attack by calling the dogs over, after which he held them overnight to see if anyone would claim them, before shooting them the next morning.

While Section 30 of the Domestic Animals Act states “the owner of any animals or birds kept for farming purposes… may destroy any dog or cat found at large— (a) in the place where the animals or birds (livestock) are confined”.

But Section 84ZA states it is an offence to unlawfully seize or destroy a dog.

Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Councillor Peter Star said the case could set a precedent that restricted farmers stopping dog attacks and he would be seeking support to lodge an application with the Australian Farmers Fighting Fund to help fund Mr Leahy’s case.

Mr Leahy runs a couple thousand Merino-cross ewes and prime lambs on his property, which locals say the family has owned for several generations.

The case went to a contest mention in Seymour Magistrate’s Court last week, with a hearing scheduled for July 3 at Shepparton Magistrates Court.