A sheep has been left blind in one eye after a dog attack on farmland near Hastings, a Sussex farmer has said.
Andrew Dunlop has urged the public to keep dogs on leads at all times following the livestock worrying incident.
The dog attack happened on farmland at Fairlight, at around 11.35am on Thursday 9 January.
Police were informed that two ewes had been found injured on land between Rosemary Lane and Peter James Lane.
Mr Dunlop described the aftermath of the attack: “One sheep had its leg bitten and wool from that leg was found lying in the field after having been ripped out.
“The second sheep had its ear badly bitten and it’s now blind in one eye.
“It’s extremely upsetting to see the flock attacked and distressed in this way. Someone has either witnessed their dog chase and attack the sheep or is allowing their dog to escape their garden.
“There are signs up at all entrances to this field. Thankfully, a kind and responsible dog walker saw the signs and contact details and alerted us to the injured sheep and we were able to act quickly,” he said.
“We are very grateful for those dog owners who respect the countryside and keep their dogs on a lead.”
Sussex Police said they are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen what happened or who may have other relevant information.
PCSO Daryl Holter from the force said sheep are valuable assets and 'any harm to them harms a farmer’s livelihood'.
“It is every dog’s instinct to chase, even if usually obedient, but this can seriously damage livestock.
“A dog on the loose can be enough to panic sheep and in the case of pregnant ewes may even cause them to abort their lambs.
“Fences and field boundaries can be damaged or destroyed as frightened sheep try to escape and lambs can die from starvation or hypothermia if separated from their mothers.”
He repeated advice that dogs should always be kept on a lead or securely contained when livestock were nearby, and urged owners to pay close heed.
Failure to exercise proper control could mean their pets being shot dead by farmers as a last resort when protecting their flocks.
Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act it is a criminal offence to let a dog worry sheep, and owners or handlers risk being fined.
This includes physical attacks on ewes or lambs, chasing or other behaviour which may harm them.
Anyone with information concerning the Sussex attack is asked to report online or call 101 quoting serial 982 of 09/01.
