Labrador Mix Takes off Ewe’s Ear
Lab Takes Off Ewe’s EarWhidbey Island, WA - A Labrador mix attacked a ewe; severing her ear and leaving the animal traumatized. The owner, Cecilia Welch, was at work Monday morning when she received a phone call from her neighbor, Bryce Schuldt.
“I was shocked,” Welch said. “Bryce told me they [the dogs] had her on the ground and had taken her ear off completely.”
The two dogs, a brown Lab mix and a Chow, entered Welch’s fenced-in property and attacked the affectionate ewe. Bryce, a paramedic, raced to Matilda’s rescue. He found her ear lying on the ground and the animal hemorrhaging from the neck. He stemmed the bleeding with bandages, stabilizing Matilda until Coupeville veterinarian Dr. Robert Moody arrived.
Ewes, like other sheep, are largely defenseless against attacks. Linda, Bryce's wife, added that docile animals typically shut down during an altercation. The extent of the Matilda's injuries and expenses required to treat them made euthanasia a viable option. Matilda is being treated now, and her wounds are improving.
Both dogs are owned by a woman renting a nearby residence. She told the animal control officer that the attack was likely carried out by the Lab; her 16 year old Chow is toothless. The dog owner was charged with two counts of control off premises, an Island County Code violation. The dog owner will also be required to pay restitution.
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