Dog attacked Cooper’s Meadow sheep – keep dogs on the lead in this area

This morning, Saturday August 6, a dog attacked one of the black ewes in Cooper’s Meadow causing a ripped udder as well as damage to the tail and back leg.  The sheep owner, Clive Hibberd, has examined the ewe and given it some treatment. ARK (Action for the River Kennet) sheep watchers will be carefully monitoring the ewe. The incident highlights how important it is for dog owners to keep their dogs on the lead in this area.

Earlier in the year a dog attacked and killed a cygnet and Marlborough Town Council erected signs requesting that dogs be kept on the lead. When Marlborough.news visited Cooper’s Meadow today there was a flock of Canadian geese, who would also be vulnerable to attacks from dogs.

Anna Forbes, Senior Project Officer at ARK (Action for the River Kennet), said, “This incident could so easily have been prevented if the dog had been on the lead. The ewe, who is in Cooper’s Meadow with her lambs, has been extremely stressed by the incident. Dog owners must take the responsibility and keep their dogs on the lead so we can safe-guard not only the sheep but all the other wildlife on the Kennet.”