A COUPLE who own a farm in Sampford Courtenay have asked dog owners to keep control of their pets when walking them near farmland after a second attack on their sheep in the space of six weeks.

On December 16, Joe Stoneman went to feed his flock of sheep at 2.30pm and they were all healthy and acting as normal. When he went back the following morning at 10am, the flock was spread across two fields, unusual behaviour for the animals. Many of them couldn’t walk properly.

Ten of the sheep were able to walk around despite being attacked. One had to be put down due to its injuries while another died of the cold after falling into a ditch full of water and being unable to escape due to its injuries.

Christine Stoneman, Joe’s wife said: ‘It was very upsetting. We had an attack on November 1 but that was on one sheep, which was driven into a stream. This is the worst attack we’ve had in many years.

‘Our land backs onto forestry land where people have right of way to walk their dogs, that’s fine. There are deer in the woods though and if a dog chases after them into one of our fields, they see the sheep and think of them as an easier target.

‘We don’t blame the dogs at all, we blame the owners who are not in control of their animals. To carry out an attack like this the dog would have been away from its owner a long time. It wouldn’t have gone back to its owners clean, it would have been covered in mud and blood. They would have known something like this would have happened.

‘Probably the only way we will find whoever is responsible is if they feel a bit guilty and come forward. It probably won’t happen. But we would hope other dog owners will think more carefully when walking their dog near farmland and fields with sheep and animals in.’

Okehampton Police would like to hear from anyone who may have noticed any suspicious persons, vehicles or activity in the Sampford Courtenay area on December 16, possibly between 4pm and 5pm.

If you have any information please call 101 and quote crime reference CO/086628/15.