Serial Sheep Stealer?...

This follows a story in Donegal of a group of three young people who captured and tortured a sheep. While the two were sentence in court, one fled the district. Could this be a case of repetitive compulsion? Not for the faint of heart.

THURSDAY, 03 JUNE 2010

THE Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) is appealing to members of the public for information on two lambs that they rescued from unusual locations in the Liberties. The two lambs were abandoned on the night of Monday, May 24. One of them broke its leg after it had been cruelly flung over a 14-foot wall into a derelict building. The second was found by gardaí attached to Kevin Street wandering the streets and was rescued by members of the DSPCA. Christened ‘Sooty’ and ‘Sweep’, as they are black and white in colour, both lambs are currently recovering at the DSPCA sanctuary in Rathfarnham. They are estimated to be between 12 and 16 weeks’ old and both have had identification collars ripped from their ears. According to Orla Aungier, operations director: “Sweep, who had been thrown into the derelict building, had to have his leg pinned by the vet as it was badly broken, but he is recovering well. “They are delightful creatures. What would possess somebody to steal these lambs from a farm, rip their identification tags from their ears and fling them over a 14-foot wall? “Abusing animals in such a manner is utterly depraved, and as we have warned time and time again, it is the kind of behaviour that is often an indicator crime of a dark, menacing personality that is likely to continue abusing – moving from animal abuse to child or domestic abuse.” Ms Aungier said the DSPCA has been working with the gardai over the past number of years in establishing how a cycle of abuse can be identified. “The lambs have their owner’s initials ‘PH’ painted onto their coats but because the tags were ripped from their ears we have no way of locating him,” Ms Aungier added. “We are calling on members of the public to advise us if they recognise this mark.” The DSPCA is Ireland’s oldest animal welfare organisation and it is celebrating 170 years at the heart of animal welfare this year.