Second Winchester dog attack leaves sheep injured
Friday 5th May 2017
© Brian Shorter
A second dog attack within a month on sheep at St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve has left a sheep seriously injured and in shock
Yesterday evening (Thursday 4th May) a dog off its lead chased livestock grazing at St Catherine's Hill nature reserve near Winchester attacking a sheep in the neck and leaving it badly injured. The dog owner came forward and contacted the Wildlife Trust which meant officers could get and treat the animal as soon as possible.
The incident comes fewer than four weeks after a similar attack left a ewe so brutally injured that it was unable to eat and drink, and had to be put down by a vet. Signs at nature reserves like St Catherine’s Hill warn visitors when livestock are present, and ask dogs to be kept on leads or under close control. However these instructions aren’t always followed, which leads to incidents such as these.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust spokesperson said: “This traumatic incident just goes to show how common dog attacks on livestock are. We’re grateful to the owner for coming forward, which meant we were able to treat the animal as soon as possible. However the sheep is now in severe shock, and the next few days are not looking good.
“Free-roaming dogs often harm, or sometimes even kill, livestock and wildlife. It’s absolutely crucial that while in the countryside dog owners look out for livestock, and follow instructions about keeping their dogs on leads or under close control.”
Read more about how to be a responsible dog walker while visiting Wildlife Trust nature reserves.
Tagged with: Habitats, Hampshire, Nature Reserves