Alpacas mauled to death

A TASMANIAN family has been left devastated after returning from holiday to find their pet alpacas, Snoopy and Trixie, had been mauled to death.

The devastated couple, Warwick and Alana Clark, have now urged dog owners to ensure their animals are kept restrained and asked for the owners of those responsible to “come forward and do the right thing”.

Ms Clark said they returned to their property at Winnaleah, in the state’s northeast, last Tuesday night, but weren’t told that something had happened to the alpacas until the following morning.

“My husband and I ran down to where they were to see that they were deceased,” she said. “The male was still warm so we thought it had happened late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.”

The pair of alpacas were bought for the Clarks’ two children, Montana, 13, and Lachlan, 9, who go to school across the road from where the animals were found.

“I have had a lot of people say ‘if dogs can do this damage, my god what would happen if it was a child?’,” she said.

Ms Clark said the alpacas had their heads and necks mauled but their bodies were left at the property.

“We felt sick to the stomach, I felt like throwing up,” she said.

“We were also left feeling angry that no one had seen or heard anything. If they did, they are not coming forward

“The policeman did say some people might not because they are worried about repercussions.”

Ms Clark said the incident had left neighbours “in total shock”.

“I want the dog owners to come forward and do the right thing and for those to be held accountable for what their animals have done,” she said.