Family find dead lambs in bag on country road

A young boy, aged seven, was left in tears after discovering several dead lambs in a bag during a family litter-picking trip. The unsettling find occurred on a country road near Cappagh in County Tyrone, prompting immediate concern among the parents. Ursula Bradley, the boy’s mother, shared the emotional impact of the discovery. “He had a lot of questions—being a parent, that was really hard,” she said.

Additional animal remains discovered

Alongside the bag of lambs, several other animal carcasses, in various stages of decomposition, were found in nearby hedges and ditches. Bradley noted the disturbing nature of the scene. “We found two more dead lambs on the same road, it’s the last thing you expect to find, it was awful for someone to dump them like that,” she explained.

“There are a lot of families that walk these roads and my son was very upset that night, he was asking what he could do for the lambs, it was very upsetting,” Bradley added.

Council and Daera respond to the incident

Mid Ulster District Council confirmed it was alerted to the event and reached out to the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera). Daera stated that local veterinary staff investigated the case but could not identify the animal owner, as the lambs were untagged. “If anyone has information regarding the identity of those responsible, this should be directed to the local veterinary office,” the agency said.

Wider concerns about animal welfare

Kevin McElvogue, an independent councillor, highlighted that such incidents are not isolated. “It has happened too many times in recent years, we’ve had lambs, calves, and horses dumped—it makes me sick to my stomach,” he remarked. He emphasized the importance of proper disposal. “If you have a dead animal, please dispose of them properly, there are companies locally that do it, it’s the right thing to do.”

Recent data from BBC News NI revealed 262 convictions for animal welfare or cruelty offenses in Northern Ireland over the past five years. Almost 75% of these convictions involved male offenders. Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) reported over 3,400 waste dumping incidents between 2020 and 2025, with 150 specifically linked to animal remains.

Further along the same road, larger skeletal remains were found in a ditch. McElvogue suggested these might belong to horses or cows. He also pointed to a broader trend of waste dumping and fly tipping in the area. “We have had problems with litter and waste dumping, and the whole reason we organised the litter-pick was for the community to come together and improve their area,” he said.

Between 2020 and 2025, 31 convictions were recorded for fly tipping offenses in Northern Ireland courts, resulting in fines. Most of those convicted were men. Bradley described the issue as a significant escalation. “I understand that animals will die in farming situations, it’s inevitable, but there is a humane way of disposing them, not this, it’s actually disgusting,” she concluded.