Dog attack on livestock – a stark reminder | The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire Manchester and North Merseyside

Yesterday, one of our conservation sheep suffered a horrific dog attack on one of the Wigan sites we work on. (Graphic imagery warning)

The dog went into a fully fenced field and went straight for her neck, leaving her with a severe wound and causing her to completely lose an ear.

Thanks to the incredibly fast actions of our team and our livestock vet, she was stitched up quickly.

But if we hadn’t acted as soon as we did, she would not have survived - and we’re still not 100% sure if she will.

This is the heartbreaking reality of what happens when dogs are not kept on a lead around livestock.

It only takes seconds, and any dog, no matter the size or breed, can cause serious, sometimes fatal, injuries.

We put huge amounts of work into caring for these animals, and incidents like this are devastating. Please do the right thing and:

- Keep dogs on a short lead near livestock
- Stick to marked footpaths
- Respect the animals and the land they graze on

Together, we can prevent tragedies like this from happening again.