After being involved with sheep from when he was a child, farmer Dan O'Donoghue plans to "get out of" the industry completely, following his third dog attack in 18 months.

Agriland warns that images and videos used throughout this article, showcasing the aftermath of the attack, are graphic.

O'Donoghue of Knocknahoe, just outside Killarney, Co. Kerry described an attack on his farm this morning (Thursday, March 13) as "horrific".

O'Donoghue was driving near his land at around 7:00a.m when he first came across the incident, where he saw two dogs "savaging" one of his sheep on the road, causing "serious" injuries to the sheep's throat.

After searching his land, surrounding roads, and drains, O'Donoghue found 14 of his sheep killed, four injured, and another three missing.

He said that some of the surviving sheep had been chased into drains and are "absolutely terrified beyond belief".

O'Donoghue said that his "first concern" is about the sheep and making sure the ones that are injured get the treatment needed. (Warning: Graphic footage below)

However, there has also been a large financial hit, with the farmer down around €4,000 to €4,500 as a result.

The attack mirrors a similar incident that occurred on O'Donoghue's farm in January last year, where he lost 10 of his sheep, some of which were in lamb, being killed.

"This time I will get out of sheep. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results, so it's happened me twice now and I'm not going to give every night of my life up worrying about my sheep," O'Donoghue said.

"I know on the day of the kill, you might think irrationally, but that is definitely my plan. It's not fair on the sheep," he told Agriland.

O'Donoghue said that dog owners do not realise "the harm that can be caused", and appealed to those that own dogs to "make sure they know where they are at all times".

Investigations from today's attack, involving two dogs, are ongoing by An Garda Síochána.