About three weeks ago, I discovered my favourite sheep, Candy, lying in a field, in obvious pain. Closer examination through the thick fleece, revealed a nasty wound, that had become infected. I thought perhaps she had ripped herself on some barbed wire.
A visit from the vet confirmed that there were puncture marks around her neck, indicating dog bites. I suppose we were lucky that only one sheep had been attacked. People do walk their dogs past this field, so it is possible, that a dog could have chased the sheep, and was then called off by its owner. we shall never know.
I do know that it took two courses of antibiotics to get her well again. Candy rewarded our patience and 'nursing care' by being the first ewe to lamb this spring, and produced three healthy lambs in the early hours of this morning, 2 boys and a ewe-lamb.
(picture taken a few days later). The photo is not the prettiest one, but it shows the considerable scarring caused to the sheep's face, and this is several weeks after the dog incident.
The countryside is for us all to enjoy, whatever our interests, but Candy's story highlights a need for responsibility, and the importance of respect for the creatures, wild and domestic, who share the countryside with us.
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