Stop and ask about my sheep, they’re not abuses, that’s their breed
I have never written to a newspaper before today, but I have always enjoyed reading other people’s views and get a laugh every now and then at people who are so misinformed and yet so righteously indignant and so happy to point it out to the rest of the world.
Yesterday morning, there was a knock on my back door and upon answering it, I was informed by a very nice SPCA animal control officer that someone had filed an animal abuse charge against me.
The complainant claims that [my] animals are not being cared for properly and that my sheep are matted and need to be sheared, along with my two llamas. [I] bring in $1,500 to $2,000 worth of good local hay to feed [the] animals.
As far as my sheep are concerned, they are all Icelandic sheep, which are not your average sheep. If you Google them you will find lots of information on this breed of sheep. One of the big factors in raising them is that they do not require shearing. As you will see in the next few weeks they will start to shed their coats all on their own and at times they look like they are dragging an old dirty blanket around behind them. They will rub up against the large fir trees near the barn, leaving their wool for me to collect and clean and wash. This transition period can take several weeks, but eventually, just as mother nature had intended, they will appear with short, clean coats.
This time of year all livestock looks wet, muddy, and bedraggled, but this does not mean that they are abused! I think that people are hyper sensitive ever since the tragic death of (Teddy) and so we all should be. I do encourage people who walk or drive by to stop in and visit the animals and ask questions. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, unfounded allegations are no one’s friends.
Penny Parkinson
Duncan