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Police warning to dog owners after sheep killed

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Getty Images A field of sheep. Two sheep are looking directly at the camera in the foreground. Others are standing or lying in the background. The grass is quite short and has a gentle slope. A cereal crop on a steeper slope is visible in the background.Getty Images
The sheep (not shown) was attacked on the afternoon of 5 February

Dog owners have been told to keep their pets on a lead and under control following the death of a sheep.

Police said the incident happened on 5 February, near Welford Reservoir, in Northamptonshire.

A dog, believed to be a Doberman, attacked the animal between 13:00 GMT and 14:00.

The pet was thought to have been with two men and woman at the time of the attack. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Google A large reservoir to the right with hedges covering the bank. There is a road with a brick-built bridge to the left. A field is behind the road to the left and a house is visible on the horizon.Google
Police said the attack happened in a field near Welford Reservoir

Abigail Anstead, a rural crime sergeant with Northamptonshire Police, said: "Whether farmer or pet owner, the death of an animal is devastating, but all of this is completely avoidable if people walking dogs keep them on a lead and under control around livestock."

There have been several similar incidents in the county in recent months.

A sheep is thought to have been killed in Daventry in August 2024 and five were fatally wounded near Brackley in April 2024.

Three sheep were found dead in Corby last month and the farmer who owned them said it was "obvious" a dog was responsible.

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