Pet sheep live in lounge to avoid foot-and mouth cull

By ANNA WHITNEY

LONDON - The owner of five pet sheep has moved them into her living room to prevent them being slaughtered as part of foot and mouth precautions aimed at stopping the spread of the disease.

The animals normally live in a paddock two miles from a Scottish farm that was diagnosed as being infected almost three weeks ago.

To ensure that Maggie, Matthew, Melissa, Emily and Eva - types of sheep called Dutch Zwartbles, bred for cheese production - could sleep in peaceful safety, their owner Carolyn Hoffe ripped out her lounge carpet, replaced it with sawdust and straw and put her furniture upstairs.

In a bid to prevent officials getting into her home in Glasserton, in Dumfries and Galloway, Hoffe blocked windows and doors she thought could be accessible.

Yesterday, she said she was planning to keep the sheep inside as long as she had to: "The sheep are fine and very happy," she explained. "One slept under a radiator, which was turned off, while the other four slept along the walls.

"It is not ideal as it is a beautiful day and they should be outside, as they love being out in the open, but I am too frightened to put them out."

A stalemate was still in effect yesterday after Hoffe was told the animals would have to be slaughtered, and lorries that arrived to take the sheep away on Tuesday had left.

The housewife was told after taking legal advice that she was unlikely to win a court battle but last night she was considering mounting a case nonetheless, having been boosted by support from neighbours and other animal-owners.

In Dumfries, which she described as "decimated" by the cull, there was talk of an uprising against the slaughter policy, enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and the Scottish Executive, in support of her defiant stance.

"The sheep have shown no trace of foot and mouth disease, and they are kept away from farm animals," added Hoffe. "We've got to stand up to them."

After two written appeals failed, Hoffe decided to take drastic action by moving the sheep into her house, hoping "against hope" that the decision would be reconsidered. So far, five similar attempts to prevent animals being killed by launching court action have been unsuccessful.

- INDEPENDENT

Herald Online feature: Foot-and-mouth disaster

World organisation for animal health

UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Pig Health/Foot and Mouth feature

Virus databases online