Locals and their paw friends have been on high alert, following the discovery of dogs injured by gunshot pellets along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail between Wulkuraka and Brassall.
Police have begun an investigation and the Ipswich City Council says it has reports of land owners defending livestock from dog attacks.
On the evening of Friday 20 February, two dogs from a Wulkaraka property escaped their yard.
The dog’s owner said his wife and stepdaughter searched high and low for their missing dogs in the hours that followed.
“They went off in three or four different directions, calling out and couldn’t find them,” the resident said.
The following morning, Luna, their five year old Catahoula X was found just metres from the entrance to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail at Wulkuraka.
“She couldn’t walk, she was drowning in her own blood from internal injuries,” the dog owner said.
Given her condition, Luna was put to sleep.
The family’s other dog, Charlie, a 14 month old Golden Labrador, limped back to the family’s property later that day
“We rushed him to the vet and they got back to us to say they found fragments of what they thought were bullets.
“Upon surgery, they actually confirmed that they were shotgun pellets.”
On 23 February, two other dogs were found injured up the BVRT at Brassall.
The resident said his daughter had been in communication with the owner.
“She confirmed that a white Husky passed away. The second dog underwent minor surgery.
“But it was confirmed that it sustained injuries from shotgun shots.
The biggest question on the families’ minds was why?
“Luna was 35 kilos and out of shape but a much loved dog.
“Charlie is just full of beans and happiness.
“We know we will probably never find who pulled the trigger.
“There’s hundreds of people a day on a walk, cycling and taking their dogs down that track.
“We just want to raise awareness,” the resident said.
Dog owner Ruth O’Dowd argued that the shooting of clearly identifiable pets was unacceptable.
“I question why it took nine days for them to actually place a complaint about dogs on their property, hurting their sheep,” she said.
“If our dogs did do that, there is no proof. There’s no evidence of Charlie and Luna being on that property.
“So let me ask, full daylight, the type of gun that was used to shoot our pets was a shotgun, in order for them to cause the damage they had to Luna they would have had to have been reasonably close.
“They were obviously pets, but you decided that you would shoot them.”
An Ipswich City Council spokesperson said Council was aware of two separate incidents.
“These involve dogs attacking livestock on private property (not the Wulkuraka walking trail) in the Karrabin area, and the property owner having taken steps to protect their livestock.
“Council’s involvement is limited to investigating the reported attacks on livestock.
A Queensland Police Service spokesperson confirmed that Police were aware of the reported incidents and were investigating.
