A RAMPAGING Staffordshire Bull terrier cross was fought off by a donkey as the dog savaged a sheep.
The donkey charged into the pasture from a neighbouring paddock near Throxenby Mere in Scarborough when it saw the sheep being terrorised.
The donkey took on the bull terrier and pinned it to the ground until it let go of the animal's head, said A
nn Rogers, 62, of Row Brow Farm, off Lady Edith's Drive, who had also tried to fight off the dog.
"It was a total frenzy, and so frightening," she said. "I tried to hit the dog with a piece of drainpipe but I left it because the donkey was doing a better job."
The sheep's face has been left paralysed but it survived the ordeal.
The dog has been 'put down'. It had been running wild in the smallholding and had also bitten three horses before running back to its 18-year-old owner.
Mrs Rogers, who has had her small-holding for 13 years, said she was shocked and astounded after seeing the female donkey, called Dotty, restraining the rampaging dog. She said: "There was this huge commotion and all the animals charged down the field. I could see there was this dog attached to one of the sheep.
"Dotty leapt to the sheep's aid and held the dog down to the ground. Eventually the dog let go of the sheep.
Despite Dotty's efforts, the sheep called Stanley, sustained bad injuries.
Mrs Rodgers said: "Two of his teeth have come out, and his jaw is disfigured because the dog has paralysed the nerve on one side of his jaw.
"His lip will always be hanging down."
Mrs Rogers is now urging dog-owners to keep their pets on their leads. She said: "Only last week my grandchildren were riding the donkey. I dread to think what might have happened."
After the incident, the police were called, and the dog was put down. Police said that the dog's 18-year-old owner and his friend, who was with him at the time of the incident, were both questioned.
Donkey owner Melanie Fisher said she had never seen a lone donkey stand up to a dog in such a way. She said: "But donkeys can be protective. When we have been on the beach, and a dog has come near to a group of donkeys, one or two of them will walk round in circles as if trying to round up some of the others."
