Sheep put down at Monkton Farleigh after dog attack (From This Is Wiltshire)

A couple have begged dog owners to keep their pets under control, after three of their sheep were so badly mauled last week they had to be put down.

Owner David Badder, 50, discovered three of his ewes badly injured at their six-acre holding in Monkton Farleigh.

The animals were attacked early on Saturday.

He called in a vet and alerted his wife, at home in Wingfield, to what had happened at their small farm, which also has pigs, chicken and horses.

Helen Badder, 50, said: “This is such a heartbreaking incident.

“Two of the ewes were down in a terrible state and one was down with what we thought was a broken leg, but we later discovered it was very bad nerve damage.”

The three pure-bred Wiltshire Horn sheep, which the Badders have had for four years, were put down, due to the severity of their injuries.

The deaths made orphans of their lambs, which were born in June.

The five lambs are now being looked after by the Badders’ one remaining ewe, who survived the dog attack.

Mrs Badder said: “The sad part about this is that we’ve had them for so long and they are our family pets.

“I’d ask for anyone who knows how this happened to come forward and contact the police.

“We don’t know what sort of dog it was, but it must have been quite big.

“It has certainly caused a lot of damage here.”

The farm’s animals are checked several times a day.

Following the attack, the lambs have been too nervous to go near the family’s own dog.

As well as paw prints, footprints were found at the farm, suggesting that somebody knows how Saturday’s incident occurred.

Mrs Badder said: “Unfortun-ately, the neighbours haven’t heard anything.

“I think from this we’ve learned that dog owners should ensure to keep their animals under control, unless, of course, it was a stray that did this.

“It is just such a tragic waste and I’d like to find out more about how it happened.”

The couple’s daughter, Maria, 29, who rides and tends to the horses at the holding, is a PCSO based in Trowbridge.

She said: “This is a horrible thing to have happened and we’ve all been very upset by it.

“I try to keep my work separate from my personal life, so I’ve left this to my colleagues, but it is very annoying not to be a part of the investigation.”

Anyone with information about the dog attack on the Badders’ sheep can contact Wiltshire Police on 101.