Appeal over dumped sheep

ANIMAL welfare chiefs are appealing for help after a sick sheep dragged by one of its legs and dumped in a West Lothian field had to be put down.

A 71-year-old resident contacted the Scottish SPCA after spotting a man dragging the ewe from a silver metallic pick-up vehicle and throwing her into a wooded area off Main Street in Phillipston, Linlithgow, on Wednesday morning.

Inspector Jenni Surgeon was forced to end the sheep’s suffering immediately.

She said: “When I arrived, the ewe was in a very bad way. She was extremely distressed, unable to stand and very thin.

“A postmortem has revealed she was suffering from chronic liver fluke, a condition common in sheep and cattle which can be controlled with good management and veterinary advice.

“If the person who abandoned this poor ewe owns other livestock, we would have serious concerns for their welfare and we are very keen to identify the person responsible.”