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Baa-ck from the dead!

My heart bleated for these poor sheep...


Published by: Laura Hinton
Published on: 28 March 2013

Trudging through the mud, I began my morning round of mucking out, shovelling food and hauling bales of hay. As I made my way over to the sheep, my phone started ringing.
When I answered, the woman on the end of the line sounded terribly upset.
‘I've just started breeding pedigree sheep,' she explained. ‘Some local dogs got in the pen and attacked them. Three of them were killed.'
‘Oh no!' I gasped. ‘Did any of them survive?'
‘I've got six left, but they were terribly mauled,' she sobbed. ‘Can you help?'
‘Of course,' I told her. ‘I never turn away an injured animal.'
I'd started up Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary in 1988 after visiting a local farm and falling in love with the animals. While I was there, a poorly lamb called Larry had been brought in and everyone thought he wasn't going to make it. But I'd taken him home with me and nursed him back to health.
Ever since, I'd devoted my life to saving farm animals who might otherwise have been slaughtered.
I'd moved to a farm and lived in a mobile home on the land so I could be on-hand 24 hours a day. With 400 sheep, three pigs, three turkeys, two goats, and a couple of cockerels, life was hectic. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Now, I was preparing for the savaged sheep to arrive. They were in a very sorry state, covered in blood and cuts.
I couldn't believe how badly mauled they were.
‘Ouch!' I gasped, spotting that one sheep called Charley had an ear torn off.
Another, Casey, had both her ears missing. ‘This is heartbreaking,' I sighed. ‘You girls are going to need a lot of TLC.' The local vet had treated their injuries but, unsurprisingly, they were incredibly nervous after the attack. They demanded as much time as I could give them, and it was too much for their owner to take on.
‘Don't worry,' I soothed, patting their woolly coats. ‘You're safe in my pen.'
Every day, I cleaned their wounds and gradually
I introduced them to the other sheep. At first, they would start trembling and bolt back to their pen. But gradually, they started to settle in and got to know their woolly companions.
In the summer, they'll graze outside with the other sheep and will go on to lead happy lives. I'm glad I could bring these six lovely creatures baa-ck from the dead and I hope
I can do the same for others.

• To adopt an animal or make a donation, visit www.farmanimalrescue.org.uk.


Carole Webb, 68, Wolverton, Warwickshire