A sheep suffered a severe injury in a suspected dog attack in Gwent, raising concerns for local farmers and animal welfare.
Pontypool: A sheep had a pretty rough time recently. Its ear was ripped off in what’s being called a dog attack in a private field near Glascoed and New Inn.
The farmer, Carys Williams, is really upset about it. She says this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in that field. Poor ewe was left with a nasty injury, and Carys described it as “completely missing and ripped down her neck.”
Luckily, the sheep survived, but Carys mentioned that they sometimes have to make tough decisions about the animals’ well-being. She said, “She’s alive, but we can’t let them suffer.”
With around 50 ewes in that field, Carys worries about how long the dogs chased them and the stress it caused. Stress can be a big deal for these animals, especially if they’re pregnant. It can even lead to losing lambs.
She explained that the survival rate is low due to stress, and they might not know what they’ll lose until lambing time. It’s frustrating for her family, especially since her dad works so hard to care for the sheep.
Carys also pointed out that it’s tough to say how long the sheep was chased before the attack. The financial impact is hard to measure too, as they could lose a ewe or several lambs.
This isn’t just a one-time thing either; Carys claims it’s happened three times in that same field. She emphasized that it’s private land with no footpaths, so there’s really no reason for anyone to be there.
Gwent police have been notified about the situation, and the local news outlet, the Argus, is looking into it as well.
