Jim Jensen, one of four people who own the group of sheep, said 13 immediately survived the Dec. 19 accident but five have since died.

The sheep, many of which were pregnant, were in a fenced area on Jensen's property on the night of the accident, he said. A dog owned by a resident in west Spanish Fork started to chase them.

To get away from the dog, the sheep ran through an electric fence, then onto nearby Union Pacific railroad tracks, where they were hit by a train.

The dog that chased the sheep was still in the area and police allowed the sheep owners to shoot it, Jensen said.

''You're responsible to take care of your own dog, to make sure it's tied or kenneled and not bother others,'' he said.

Questions remain about the liability.