A Faversham farmer is warning dog walkers after a pregnant sheep was mauled by a dog.

As police sent out a warning for owners to keep their pets on a lead during lambing season, Clive Burgess, who owns Syndale Farm, was shocked to find one of his sheep with half of its face ripped off.

Still alive, the ewe, that was due to give birth in April, was found lying under a tree, surrounded by bundles of blood-stained white fluffy wool.

WARNING: Graphic image below

But her injuries were too severe to survive and Mr Burgess had to make the distressing decision to shoot her.

Mr Burgess said: “I come up to the fields every morning to do the lookout. But this particular morning, my neighbour called over to say she had heard someone calling out for a dog around 11.30pm (the night before).

“I had a look around and I saw this one from a distance and knew straight away she had been attacked. She was only just alive.”

Police sent out their own warning last week, reminding dog owners to keep their pets under control in rural areas to reduce the risk of sheep miscarrying during lambing season.

They reminded dog owners that farmers are within their rights to shoot and kill dogs if they are deemed to be causing distress to flocks, as such attacks can lead to huge financial losses.

PC Michael Laidlow of the Rural Task Force said: “As we enter the lambing season it is especially important people know what can happen if their dogs run loose and kill or injure livestock.

“Sheep represent a farmer’s income and are often worth a substantial sum.

“If attacked, the veterinary bills farmers face can leave them substantially out of pocket.

“If sheep-worrying is proved, it can mean the dog owner or person in charge being sued for damages to recompense that loss.”

Kent Police receive an average of six reports of sheep-worrying per month.

Simply by chance, Mr Burgess had moved the majority of his sheep into a nearby field, just days before the attack had happened.

“They just seem to be getting worse and worse. It is my livelihood and one less sheep is less money for me" - Clive Burgess

He believes this move may have saved dozens of his animals from the same fate as the savaged sheep.

Mr Burgess said: “We want people to know that they need to be careful. It’s a public footpath and I haven’t got a problem with that.

“But dog walkers need to know that if they bring their dog into a field where there is livestock, they simply cannot take them off the lead – dogs can be unpredictable. You hear so much about sheep attacks now – they’re not rare anymore.

“They just seem to be getting worse and worse.”

“It is my livelihood and one less sheep is less money for me.

“But it really isn’t about the money. It’s about seeing that poor sheep, injured and suffering in such a horrific way.”