Sad end for sheep rescued by divers from cliff
A RESCUED sheep that went missing from an Oban shed last week has been put down by an animal welfare charity.
The diver who saved the sheep said the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) stepped in and had to put the animal ‘out of its misery’ after it went days without food or water before being rescued.
Diver Stef Cooper spotted the animal stranded on a cliff near Easdale, which he says is not unusual, but when he returned three days later and saw the sheep in the same position he and his colleagues decided to take action.
Stef and Ion Radu scaled the rockface and brought the sheep down to the water before helping it into their boat.
While making efforts to get in touch with the owner, Stef kept the sheep in his shed in Oban’s Breadalbane Street. However, when he went to check on the animal the following morning, it was gone. It was later revealed the SSPCA had taken the animal and after speaking to the owner the decision was made to put it to sleep.
Speaking to The Oban Times, Stef said: ‘There was a bit of a delay with them taking the sheep and telling us. We got a note through the door saying we have your sheep, call us.
[The sheep] had been days without food or water and it was not in great shape, but we thought we would give it a try and help it out, but sadly it was too far gone.
‘I am sure anyone else would have done the same. I wish we had got there sooner. It’s a shame.’