Dogs maul pet animals to death at cafe 2773 in Blue Mountains
Two dogs have raided an animal pen at a popular cafe and restaurant in the lower Blue Mountains and mauled a number of farmyard pets to death.
Barney the sheep and four chickens were killed when the dogs, believed to be Staffordshire terriers, dug their way into the animal pen, located on the grounds of 2773 in Glenbrook, late on Tuesday night.
Two pet pigs, Missy and Morris, were also mauled but survived the attack, which police said took place just after midnight.
Dave Clark, the restaurant manager at 2773, said the farm animals were popular with children and their families who visited the premises on Ross Street.
Staff were now contemplating how to explain to the children why some of the animals had disappeared, and why the pigs were injured.
"The animals are a huge part of what we have here. The families and kids interact with them," Mr Clark said early on Wednesday.
He said the chickens were "decimated, they were destroyed".
"The pigs were mauled pretty badly last night, too. They're alive, I can see them moving, although they're not very mobile this morning," Mr Clark said.
"Missy has got puncture wounds on her hind legs where they've really held her down, and a puncture wound in the middle of her back, quite bad.
"Morris, because he is bigger, has tried to fight them off. He has got wounds around his snout and on his back legs. She is nudging him now. He has got his ears up; he's OK, but he is not moving."
The pigs were treated for their injuries on Tuesday night, and a veterinarian will return on Wednesday to provide further treatment, he said.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said a neighbour on Ross Street heard noises coming from the cafe just after midnight and went to investigate.
The woman told police she saw two dogs attacking the pigs and yelled at them to stop. The dogs backed off, and the woman called police.
Mr Clark said he received a call just after midnight to say the animals had been attacked.
When he and the cafe owner arrived at the cafe, the two dogs were still in the animal pen.
"They had forced their way in but couldn't get out again," he said.
He said an animal control officer arrived and read the dogs' microchips and contacted the owner, who came and collected the dogs.
Mr Clark said the dogs' owner was "devastated" and "shaken up".
"We're obviously very upset about our animals. What do you do? We don't want to make that decision [about what happens to the dogs]. Of course we're upset, but you know, it's got to be the call of the police and the council."
A NSW Police spokeswoman said the dogs had been secured, and the Blue Mountains City Council would work with the dogs' owner to determine further action.
Police are also investigating.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Megan Levy, July 29th 2015
Originally published as: Dogs maul pet animals to death at cafe 2773 in Blue Mountains
