Two dogs that killed eight sheep and three kittens in the Ohauiti area were shot dead on Thursday night and now animal control officers are searching for the owner of the animals.

Ohauiti resident Marlene Clist and Glenys Busch next to the sign that was erected on Hollister Lane warning others of the dog terrorising the area.

Tauranga City Council animal control team leader Brent Lincoln says he first received reports about the attacks on Wednesday night.

He says four dog traps were immediately placed in the area.

Ohauiti resident Jane Cook, who lives on Hollister Lane, had one of her small kittens killed by the dogs and erected a sign outside her property to warn others.

A farmer patrolling his property shot the dogs and Brent says the man was completely within his rights to do so.

His staff are now conducting enquiries to find the owner of the dogs and could be liable for the killings.

'The owner could be liable for stock that has been destroyed if we manage to identify the person,” says Brent.

The two dogs that were shot dead were a border collie and labrador cross and they did not have collars or registration tags.

'They would be owned dogs looking at the condition of them. Border collies, they are natural sheep dogs so they have an instinct to chase stock if they are not raised correctly.”

Brett Gander is a member of Neighbourhood Watch in the Hollister Lane area and says there was a fear the dogs could have attacked children.

'If they were going to attack animals there's a risk they were going to attack younger, smaller children.”

'Coming up to school holidays it is a bit of a worry. So we wanted to stop it before it happens.”

While some worried Ohauiti residents believed two dogs were responsible for the attacks, council only received information of one dog roaming loose in the area.

'One of the dogs that was shot fits the description of one of the dogs that had been seen attacking the sheep.

'We are hoping this has resolved the problem.”