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

A shepherd in Segudet, Ordino, is threatening to shut down his sheep farm after a dog killed a pregnant ewe and scattered nearly 100 others on Sunday evening, marking the seventh such attack in four years.

Sergi Riba, the farm's owner, recovered his stressed flock from Casamanya fields shortly before midnight, having left them secured in their enclosure earlier. The attack occurred around 8pm, when neighbours saw a woman—believed to be the dog's owner—fleeing the scene on foot while shouting that the animal had escaped. Riba, who was not present, dismissed that account, saying the dog was already unleashed beforehand.

Rangers responded swiftly and are investigating to identify the dog and hold its owner accountable. Specialists examined the dead ewe, found in a nearby river with two bite marks on its jugular and two on its hindquarters, confirming it was not a wild canine. Riba has filed a formal complaint and is now checking the rest of his flock for injuries.

This is the seventh incident at the farm over four years, resulting in six sheep lost in total. "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," Riba said. He noted that many warning signs on communal paths have been torn down, despite efforts by the parish council and his own attempts to post more. "People ignore them completely."

Riba, for whom shepherding is not his main income source, said repeated attacks have forced him to stop free grazing in the woods—a practice that clears underbrush and maintains the landscape. "If things continue like this, we'll have to give up the activity," he warned, even though the sheep are no longer safe inside their fenced corral, as dogs slip underneath.