A lamb had to be put down by a farmer in Cornwall after it was chased off a cliff by a dog not on a lead.
The dog is said to have charged at the lamb on the cliffs near Duckpool Cove, Bude, on April 3, causing it to fall and become badly hurt. The RSPCA said it was too dangerous for them to carry out a rope rescue of the animal due to landslides in the area.
The farmer then shot the lamb more than 48 hours later. Vicky Davidson, a resident of the area, has now said the response should have been quicker, as the lamb was left to suffer in the ‘bitter cold’.
Ms Davidson said: ‘This lamb was stuck on a ledge and injured for two days until the Monday when the farmer finally came down and shot it. It was left with no food, water, in the cold and left to die basically.
‘We wanted to make as much noise as we could to highlight that dogs need to be on the lead and we thought surely the RSPCA should have a responsibility to rescue any animal.
‘There was so much chatter in Bude and so many people were crying for help that it became a big thing. People were visiting this lamb and it was still alive two days later, it’s pitiful really.’
Ms Davidson said the lamb had been left ‘crying and bleating for its mum’, as she urged dog owners to put their pets on a lead when around sheep.
She believes the farmer should have shot the lamb straight away if it was known it couldn’t be rescued, adding: ‘It shouldn’t have been left like that. There are a lot of dogs that go off the cliffs as well so this needs to be addressed.’
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view. Twin sisters vanish sparking desperate hunt for missing Poppy and Lily
A spokesperson for the RSPCA, the animal welfare charity, said: ‘This is a really upsetting situation and we are really saddened that despite efforts it was not possible to rescue the lamb.
‘Our experienced rescue teams are well practiced in rope rescues and regularly help animals stranded in tricky situations, including along this particular stretch of the Cornish coastline.
‘Sadly, recent landslides have made the area unstable and dangerous for teams to carry out safe rescues. Our rescue officers attended the location and worked closely with the farmer after first being alerted by the coastguard on Saturday
afternoon.
‘Assessments of the cliff face were also made by experienced climbers who agreed with the charity and coast guards that the land slides had made the area too unstable to carry out a rope rescue.
‘Further attempts were made to encourage the lamb to make its own way down from the cliff, including leaving the lamb for a period of time, and using methods of encouragement.
‘This was a really heartbreaking situation for everyone involved, including those who witnessed the trapped lamb while on the beach below during the bank holiday weekend, and shows the importance of keeping dogs on leads around livestock – especially around coastlines.’
On the same day, the Coastguard had also attempted to rescue two dogs that went over cliffs at Backways Cove, in Delabole. One of the dogs died, while the other was rescued from the water by its owner.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard confirmed that a number of 999 calls
were received reporting a lamb stuck on a cliff at Duckpool. They added: ‘The
incident was reported to the RSPCA so they could attend to assess the
situation and contact was also made with the owner of the lamb.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.