A Cambridgeshire council has been forced to pull a live sheep race after a petition said the event would be 'terrifying' for the animals.
The event was planned at St. Mary's Church in Woodditton, which would've involved sheep running around a track with stuffed animals attached to their backs.
A petition was launched online by Samantha Francis which now has 46,399 signatures.
The event is annual and takes place on 9 July. The sheep race has been part of the village fete for the past two years.
Miss Francis said the sheep would be forced to run the course in the heat, with a teddy bear tied to their backs, adding that it would be 'terrifying' for them.
The council said that previous events similar to this had no incidents and were 'managed superbly'.
The council spokesman said: "The sheep used were mature ewes, not in lamb, and did not carry 'jockeys' of course. The races were straight, with proper barriers and no hazards for the sheep.
"We wouldn't be involved in anything we remotely regarded as cruel.
"But clearly some people do have other views, which we understand."
