A Killarney sheep farmer has described his devastation after 16 of his flock were killed in an overnight dog attack.
The animals were owned by Dan O'Donoghue of Knocknahoe, which is about five miles outside Killarney.
This is the second time in 18 months that Mr O'Donoghue has lost animals to a dog attack.
Mr O'Donoghue told Radio Kerry he discovered the gruesome scene at about 7am this morning, when he came across two dogs mauling one of his ewes.
He described the unfolding scene as being like a massacre, and said he was shocked and devastated to find 16 of his flock had been killed.
Gardaí were called and confirmed to Radio Kerry that they are investigating.
One of the dogs was described as a large, black Labrador-type dog, while the second was a small, brown dog.
In January of last year, Mr O'Donoghue lost 15 of his flock to a similar dog attack.
He's appealing to Kerry's dog owners to make sure they keep their pets under control, particularly at night and especially now, during lambing season.
