Berryl (sheep)

[whatevah]

On Monday, 19th April, at 6.30pm, Beryll was savaged so badly that she had to be put down.

She was tethered out my front gate, I heard the gate moving and thought it was my husband coming home. I talked to him and he said he had not put the sheep away. So I went out looking for her. We finally found her in our front garden, with her innards hanging out from her rear. We have not got around to cleaning the blood off the driveway yet.

She was still alive with eyes wide open and panting. We put her in the back of my car and took her to vets. On the way to the vets, despite her massive injuries, she kept looking over the back seat to see what was going on.

The vet had a look at her and put her down. I had to hold her head up whilst they did it to her in the back of my car. My husband removed her collar. It still has her smell on it, and I have some of her fleece on top of the fridge.

Beryl, I am so sorry that this happened to you. You were only two years old. You were lying there in so much pain, that you didn't even make a sound.

Gone are the welcoming baa's you gave us when we got home from work. Gone is your wagging tail, that you used to do, when I patted your arm pits.

Once I even put you in a paddock which you didn't like. Ten minutes later you jumped the fence and turned up in my driveway. Once you got across the road, and I tried to get you back and ended up chasing you and thought why am I chasing you, so I ran the other way and you ended up chasing me.

All the kids and adults who used to wave to you, miss your dearly. They used to love to pat, you and feed you your sheep pellets, which you loved. We were delighted how you used to come when you were called.

When I first got you, you wouldn't come within ten feet of me. You were about six months old. But I trained you to walk on a lead and come to your name. When I first put you on a lead you used to jump in the air.

I used to love watching you running around the yard, jumping in the air. At first I thought there was something wrong with you, but now I realise you were just happy with life.

Who is going to trim the hedge to size, now that you are gone. Who is going to trim the roses, the ferns, the Lily Pilly tree to sheep height. Who is going to try and bend their head over the veggie patch, to eat the tomatoe plants. Who is going to trim the neighbours backyards.

You even taught my new puppy not to chase you, by pretending to butt him. You once butted him and he butted you back, then you butted him. You showed him that you were the boss, and he left you alone from then on.

You even had to put up with licky licks from my other dog. The cat used to hang around you, while you were grazing.

You saved us five hours of mowing every month, and got rid of all the wandering jew, ivy, thistles, who is going to do that for me now.

You are especially missed by Phil who when he first saw you, said, that sheep is going back to where you got her from. But then two weeks later when he named you, I knew that you were here to stay. He has shed many tears over you.

Berryl the dogs are still sniffing in the area that we found you. You tried to run away from the dogs and got off your lead, and ran for the safety of my front yard, but the dogs cornered you and you did not have a chance.

Berryl we have found the dogs that did this to you. They also attacked another dog on that night. The ranger is having the owners charged. It doesn't bring you back, but it makes me feel better.

Good bye Berryl (My Bezza), my little eating machine.

Edited April 21, 2004 by bigbum

[greyhoundangel]

That's just so sad...

I lost my lamb Pumba to a dog attack, when he should of been safe! He was killed by two Italian Greyhounds, he would not of been scared of dogs as he had been brought up with them, and he was too young to defend himself...

He got along perfectly fine with a Bull Terrier cross, and an English Mastiff, not to mention the many Greyhounds that I always have...

I actually find that the Italian Greyhounds have such a high prey drive, higher than many I have seen in a Greyhound. They had also previously killed one of my rabbits...:D

I wish I had a picture of my Pumba, but unfortunately we didn't expect anything like this to happen and we had only had him 3-4 weeks at the very most...

I don't feel I can get another sheep now, although I would love to, but Pumba was really special and it will never be the same...

Mel

[Guest jess&anka]

Im sorry about this..... we spoke the other day!! Im sorry for your loss....

Just think that now Beryll... is frollicking in the multiple paddocks of green wonderlands... finding her special spot!! Waiting to see you again!! for more underarm rubs!!

[persephone]

:rolleyes: years ago, I lost a goat the same way...My sympathies

[Clicking Mad]

I'm really sorry to hear about your pet sheep Berryl. :rolleyes:

She sounds like such a wonderful and smart little sheep.

She didn't deserve to go in such a horrid way. My sincerest sympathy.

Edited January 6, 2008 by Clicking Mad

[Clyde]

Im so sorry :rolleyes:

[Ashanali]

:D

What a lovely tribute to your Beryl. Obviously not just a 'sheep'!

:rolleyes:

[Ripley]

That is so very sad, BB. Are you in the country? We know what happens to sheep killers in the country.

Poor Beryl, she sounded like a lovely soul.

[whatevah]

No I am in outer suburbia.

The ranger got back to me. He said the woman with the dogs was planning on

getting both euthanized and had made an appointment. But the dog belong to

her ex boyfriend who has moved to Mitcham, and it is up to him. He wants to

keep one of the dogs.

The ranger said they seemed to be "reasonable" people. He thinks it was the

female Akita who did all the aggressing. He suggested to me that both dogs

go to Mitcham. Or one dog be euthanized, or court action. He thinks it

isn't really the woman

's fault because she it wasn't her dogs and she really didn't want them.

I told him, that if the woman did not want the dogs then they she should

have given to the pound. I also said that if the boyfriend wanted the dogs

he should have moved to where he could have kept dogs. I also said that the

dogs have gotten out before in the past. I said I could understand that

most dogs do get out at some stage, but you work on the problem and fix it.

I also said that the woman must have cared about the dogs to go out looking

for them. I also told the Ranger that if Berryl only had a little nick on

her chin I would not have even called him. The ranger showed up some photos

of the dogs, and they are the ones.

The ranger also told me that one of the dogs had come home covered in blood.

The female akita. I spoke to a lady at the park and she said she had seen

the Akita's attacking another dog in the past and they were both

responsible.

I thought it the dogs were euthanised, it is only the dog being punished.

I am going to ask the ranger to take it to court, so hopefully both dogs

euthanised, and owner with a conviction against her name and a hefty fine.

Will make her think next time before keeping someone else's dogs that she

does not really want.

If someone said to me I am leaving my pitbull that is aggressive with you,

there is no way that I would take it. I figure if people are going buy dogs

that have been bred to attack other dogs, that they should put the work in

and socialise them properly.

I chose my dogs because they are less likely to be aggressive and I take

them to obedience, and socialise them regulary to make sure they stay

friendly.

I also thought this lady going to court can cause her some grief also. Like

the grief that my family has had in the last week.

[Ripley]

The thing is, you can't have marauding dogs going about the place killing and maiming stock. We lost a baby angora goat when my parents had a property by wild dogs, they do so much damage too but farmers would constantly go hunting them as they were a real pest and yet when they shot one of them it turned out to still have its collar on and was someone's pet who had just got out and turned killer.

In north-west Sydney, there was a huge problem last year with someone's dogs getting out and maiming livestock. One little girl lost her pet lamb and another woman lost 2 of her show alpacas and the other one was so badly maimed she had to get it put down. The owners should be fined and the dogs put down in my opinion.

Good luck, BigBum.

[cav_crazy]

i am so sorry to hear about your loss of beryl

RIP BERYL

How you wrote your post was absolutely amazing .... you made the post oh so clear!

I know what you mean, how it makes you feel better with the owner bieng charged

No words could ever describe what it feels like to lose a loved animal and or even a person... Sometimes you feel and think that you have done something wrong to make it happen.. and if i would of done this or that it wouldnt of ended up this way.... you feel as though you regret not doing something (thats how i feel/felt when my old dog passed away and i still do)

I guess why it hurts so much, because one of the most important things has been taken away from you and the fact of the unknown hurts so much... the thought of not bieng there with them, to hug, feed and give fresh water hurts as well.. because they have depended on you, and now we cant do anything for them like that... only pray for them..

The thoughts of them bieng gone to another place is what hurts too...

But remember they will wait for you at rainbow bridge and together you will cross... together and will be together forever...

[whatevah]

Thanx for the compliments and sympathy. We are getting another sheep in Spring, planning on getting a suffolk. They have black faces and white body. Have driven past a farm that had one the other day so will make enquiries.

I read in the Herald today that a lot of people take time off from work when a pet dies. The average is 3 days. I took one day off and did feel better at work.

[whatevah]

Berryll, the attack dogs returned today. They were hanging outside my house, probably coming back for seconds. I put both of them into my car and dropped them off at the pound. The pound rang the ranger and he said to them over the phone "Never to Be Released".

The ranger was very happy with me as he had been trying to contact the owner, and she was avoiding him. So now the dogs are at the pound until it goes to court, and the owners have to pay boarding fees, unless they decide to have them put down, but in any case the owners will still go to court.

Cannot believe some people. Their dogs destroy an animal and still they let the dogs get out again!!!

The dogs travelled at 500m to get to my place.

[gillybob]

:D ;)

Bigbum

I sorry you lost your Berryll, she seems to have been a nice girl.

people dont realise how much damage dogs can do to stock and how far dogs can travel when they are hunting in a pack.

Dogs up here that do that get shot, because once they have hunted they will do it again. Your right to want them pts.

GillyBob.

[Ripley]

Hopefully they will be PTS, BigBum. Let's hope the owner is fined. Isn't there a law against marauding dogs destroying stock or is it a civil matter?

I know what my father would have done had they come onto our property when we had the farm - one bullet for each of them. Amazing how some owners don't care isn't it?

Edited May 2, 2004 by Ripley

[Rozzie]

Suffolks are great. We have a small flock and are expecting lots of sets of twins soon.

[Ciara]

I'm glad you were able to get the dogs to the pound, however sad and horrible the situation is. ;)

At least now they wont be able to go kill anyone else's pets. Sad situation all round. :D

[whatevah]

Ripley,

It is a council by-law in my area, that dogs are not allowed to roam the streets and another law that they are not allowed to attack another animal. So you are actually looking at two offences.

Plus the dogs got out again, so that is three offences. There are two dogs. The owners have to pay board, until it goes to court.

Thanx for asking.

[Kowdie]

Poor Beryl, she sounds so brave and strong!

;) for you and your family and this terrible loss.

Good work getting them taken to the pound, and good luck with the court case!

My bunny George will be making great friends with Beryl, he loves other animals! :D

[whatevah]

Beryl would probably butt him!! She used to butt all animals that were smaller than her or pretend to butt them. She didn't have any horns. She was the leader of all the animals at my place.