Aug. 31 (UPI) — Animal rescuers in Britain said a ewe was left feeling “a little sheepish” after being found entangled in a soccer net left out in the yard of a home.
The RSPCA said Inspector Vicki McDonald responded to a property in Rossendale, Lancashire, England, where the homeowner had discovered a sheep with its neck entangled in a soccer net that had been left out overnight.
“Sheep are naturally very wary of humans and this sheep did start to thrash as I approached her, however it was really important to subdue her and to get her free before she seriously harmed herself,” McDonald said in a news release.
McDonald said she was able to carefully subdue the sheep and remove the net from around the animal’s neck.
“I checked her over and she was absolutely fine — apart from perhaps feeling a little sheepish,” McDonald said.
She said the sheep was released back into the neighborhood to rejoin its flock.
The RSPCA said the rescue highlights the dangers unattended sports nets can pose to animals. The group recommended that all nets be put away when not in use.