Laois Offaly Gardaí investigating theft of pet sheep and lambs
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‘One lamb is dependent on bottle feeding. Another lamb has been separated from its distressed mother’
Livestock thieves are believed to have stolen four pet sheep and four lambs from a field in Co Offaly on Friday.
“These are pets and they all have names and dates of birth,” the distraught owner of the eight animals told the Leinster Express/Laois Live.
The four pet ewes and four lambs were stolen from the Geashill area of Co Offaly at around 2.40am on the morning of Friday, June 5. The owner has urgent welfare concerns about the animals and said one was still being bottle fed.
“We now are pretty certain that it was a van which passed a neighbours CCTV at 2.48am on the Fenter Killegh Road,” said the owner, who didn’t want to be identified.
The animals are pets for the family and they are also brought to a local school to introduce children who may not be familiar with livestock. They were taken from a field and the gate was left open.
“These are all pet lambs. The eldest are five and six years old,” the owner stated. One of the lambs was still being bottle feed, they stated.
A notice placed on social media stated that: “One lamb is dependent on bottle feeding.
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Another lamb has been separated from its distressed mother. These animals are much-loved pets and their welfare is a serious concern.”
The thieves stole two week old Gizmo who can be seen pictured with his mother Lambie. The other sheep include Hops, a three month old bottle fed ewe lamb, Princess, a one year old hogget heavy in lamb and Lazy Robbie, a three month old ewe who is now separated from her distressed one year old mother who was left behind by the thieves.
They also stole Barbara, a brown speckled faced one year old in-lamb eve, five year old rouge cross ewe Ruby and three month old Bunny, along with her mother.
“We would plead with the better nature of those who took them to return them. Or anyone with any information to kindly contact gardaí.
If nothing else I don’t want the perpetrators to profit off the undue and unnecessary upset they have caused us and our children,” the owner said.
The incident is being investigated by Gardai in Portarlington.
“Gardaí attended the scene following a report of the theft of livestock from a field in Ballymacrosssan, Co. Offaly that occurred on Friday 5th June 2026. Investigations are ongoing,” Gardaí said in a statement.
Anyone with information can contact Portarlington Garda Station (057) 862 3112 or Portlaoise Garda Station on 057 867 4100.