Shepherd Threatens to Close Sheep Farm After Seventh Dog Attack Kills Pregnant Ewe

A shepherd in Segudet, Ordino, is considering closing his sheep farm after an unleashed dog killed a pregnant ewe and scattered nearly 100 others on Sunday evening, the seventh such attack in four years.

Sergi Riba recovered his stressed flock from Casamanya fields shortly before midnight, having secured them in their enclosure earlier. Neighbours saw a woman—believed to be the dog's owner—running from the scene around 8:15pm, shouting that the animal had escaped. Riba dismissed this, stating the dog was already unleashed. Rangers responded quickly but she had left; they are investigating to identify her and the dog, analysing bite marks on the ewe—two on the jugular and two on the hindquarters—to determine its breed. Experts ruled out a wild canine and a government technician examined the carcass at the incineration plant. Riba has filed a police complaint and is checking the flock for injuries. The dead ewe ended up in a nearby river.

Riba voiced frustration over daily unleashed dogs on livestock paths despite signage. He and the parish council installed warnings on communal paths marking the area as livestock zones where leashes are required, but many have been torn down. "We're fed up with dogs wandering unleashed every day along the path, even though there are signs marking it as a livestock area where they must be leashed," he said. "People ignore them completely." Shepherding is not his main income, and repeated incidents have ended free grazing in woods, which clears underbrush and maintains landscapes. Sheep are now unsafe even in fenced corrals, as dogs slip underneath. "If things continue like this, we'll have to give up the activity," he warned. This is the sixth sheep lost to dog attacks at the farm over four years.

The Associació Rescatista i Protectora dels Animals (ARPA) supported Riba, emphasising owners' full civil and economic responsibility for damages. The group noted the emotional toll and sense of impotence on farmers, calling for better dog management and education without demonising animals' instincts.

In response, the Ordino parish has increased patrols in Segudet through its traffic service, as promised by local authorities. The Agriculture Ministry urged Riba not to quit, with Minister Guillem Casal personally assuring tougher measures. Officials are finalising changes to the animal ownership law to impose stricter rules on unleashed dogs, especially in signed livestock areas or mountain paths. Investigators are cross-checking veterinary records and reviewing public and private CCTV footage to trace the woman and dog. Riba praised rangers' prompt action and the parish's signage efforts, though he has not yet decided on the farm's future amid widespread solidarity.