A sheep brutally attacked by a dog had to be put to sleep as three other lambs died as a direct result of the horrific incident.
Elaine Prentice and husband Scott found the injured animal on their Kilmarnock farm on Sunday afternoon as they immediately alerted their vet.
Sadly the sheep couldn't be saved and was in extreme pain following the attack which left the animal with severe injuries.
Elaine said the vet claimed to have seen less trauma on an animal who had been hit by a car travelling at 60mph.
The couple are now urging pet owners to be responsible and walk their dogs on a lead if they take routes near farms to avoid another devastating loss.
The 39-year-old farmer told the Record: "It's a very busy time of year. We're lambing 480 sheep so we check them regularly.
"On Sunday my husband checked them just before lunch and then after 3pm we went back out again. We knew straight away something was wrong.
"There was blood all over the sheep and the dog had bitten and crunched the skull. The vet said it must have been horrendous force.
"The sheep had to be put to sleep and left two orphaned lambs. One of them never made it so that is another casualty.
"Because of the attack something called mismothering happened where the lambs get mixed up from their mothers.
"The lambs were then exposed to snow and didn't have their mothers to protect them.
"We then lost another two lambs because of this."
Elaine added: "The sheep were so traumatised and spooked from the attack.
"The vet said it was a very vicious attack and it must have been by a big dog. He had seen less injuries on an animal hit at 60mph.
"You work hard this time of year and take pride in your livestock. You want to do the very best by them so that is distressing."
The dog hasn't been found and no one has came forward which has left the couple fearing it might come back for more.
All of the sheep in the field are "first time mothers" and have "traumatised" by the attack as Elaine says they are obviously still spooked.
The farmer said that dogs "absolutely should not" be walked off the lead next to fields or farms to prevent incidents like this from happening.
She said: "If you have a dog that has a taste for blood it is not safe. If you know it was your dog that has done this once, can you really live with knowing that?"
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers in Kilmarnock received a report around 9am on Monday, 12 April, of a sheep having been attacked by dog at a property on Treeswoodhead Road.
“Enquiries to establish the circumstances are ongoing.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
Do you agree that pet owners should be more responsible when walking their dog? Have your say in the comments section below.
