MUDDY MARVELS
Collie’s litter of cuties after being crushed in dirt by 15-ton tractor
IT’S sheepdog fan – probably after Winnie the heavily safe is an to ex-tractor pregnant say that border collie was crushed under the wheel of a 15-ton harvester when chasing a rabbit.
But while Winnie may not have caught the rabbit, it was still her lucky day as the three-year-old and her six unborn puppies survived – squashed down into soft ground by the massive 4ft wheel.
Owner Josh Sibley had Winnie in the cab while working at his farm, near Beaminster, Dorset, when she jumped down and ran off. Mr Sibley, 22, said: ‘When it happened I thought, “That’s it, I’ve lost my dog”. There was just no way she could have survived being run over by such a big machine.’
Winnie, who suffered burst lungs and a fractured pelvis, was treated by Mr Sibley’s sister Pam Bowditch, a vet, before she was taken to a specialist in Beaminster. A scan then revealed that all six pups were completely unharmed. Winnie spent five days receiving treatment and then went into labour a few days early on November 13. Mr Sibley added: ‘All the puppies are absolutely fine, which seems crazy.’ The puppies, which now weigh more than 2lb each, will be sold after Christmas while one will be trained as a sheep dog.