and a lamb by the time their rampage was over, Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

And it was claimed the same dogs, who numbered as many as 20 at one time, had terrorised cows, chickens and cats in the St. George's neighbourhood from 1991 until last year when many were put down.

The man the prosecution alleges owned the leader of the pack, an Akita-type dog, found himself in court yesterday facing several charges under the recently amended dog laws.

But Kim Ingemann denied that between August 1991 and March 1992 he kept the Akita-type dog on his property without a licence.

Though he had originally brought it to his property, in March 1991, it was "running wild'' and no longer under his control by the time the attacks occurred. He had not renewed its licence when it expired in August 1991, he said. He claimed dog wardens had denied his requests to collect the dog to put it down.

However, Government Dog Warden Mr. Leonard (Shinah) Simons testified he had received no such requests from the defendant.

Ingemann further pleaded not guilty to being the owner of the dog and allowing it to stray and cause damage to $300 worth of goats at the Shell compound between March 9 and 10. And he denied that being the owner of the same dog, he allowed it to stray again and cause damage to $1,200 worth of sheep at the Esso compound between March 16 and 17.

Ingemann said the mother of his two sons had asked him to keep the dog until she found a new apartment.

Describing the dog as "bad'', he told how it was seized in spring 1991 after cows -- including his own, chickens and cats in the area were maimed. But Ingemann's sons' mother demanded he go and get the dog back, which he did.

SPCA inspector Louis Ray gave it to him on condition he licensed it.

Ingemann said he licensed it in his sons' mother's name and signed the reclaim form. But "the last straw'' was when the dog killed three more of his cows in September 1991.

He claimed he asked the dog warden on several occasions to come and collect the dog to put it down. "If Mr. Simons had done his job and picked up the dog it never would have killed those sheep,'' Ingemann said.

Crown Counsel Mr. Melvin Douglas asked Ingemann: "Why did you say you would care for the dog and then abandon it?'' Ingemann testified he and his sons' mother had agreed it should be put down and had asked Simons to collect it.

Simons testified he was called to the site on the morning of March 17 by employees of Esso who had come across three dead sheep and a lamb -- and had seen the Akita-type dog on the property. There had also been reports of savaged goats and the same dog had been spotted near them.

After making inquiries, Simons said he seized the two dogs by court order.

Private vet Maureen Ware testified the dogs were examined and their stool was found to have sheep wool and traces of blood.

In summing up, Ingemann's lawyer Mr. Richard Hector QC said the dog was unlicensed to anyone from August 1991 on.

He added: "It was clear from the start he was not the owner of the dog -- it was licensed in another name,'' Mr. Hector said. "He could not have been the keeper of a dog over which he had no control.'' He further claimed dog wardens knew about the attacks on livestock in the area and should have done something.

The case was adjourned to this afternoon.