A GROUP of volunteers from Chiseldon have launched a campaign to raise £700 to save Eric, their beloved village sheep.

Eric was attacked two weeks ago by an out of control dog and sustained some quite nasty injuries.

Now the group that look after him fear that without help from the public, he may not recover.

The volunteers, from the Washpool Area Restoration Project, are a small conservation group that has spent the last ten years restoring a neglected valley at the heart of Chiseldon, turning it from a dumping ground into a lovely nature reserve for everyone to enjoy.

Part of the restoration involves returning one of the steep sided banks of the valley to its natural chalk downland state.

The bank is home to a flock of six sheep, who help with that natural restoration process – but now the flock is in danger of being reduced to five, much to the dismay of the group.

Claire Maycock, one of the Washpool Area Restoration Project volunteers, said: “Sadly, one of our sheep – Eric, a Herdwick – was attacked by an out of control dog two weeks ago.

“He suffered serious wounds to his head and leg. There were no witnesses to the attack and the owner has not come forward.

“Sadly, despite two weeks of daily care Eric’s injuries remain severe and we are now facing another month of bills for his treatment.

“Such treatment is both time-consuming and expensive, and were Eric a farm animal he would undoubtedly be put down at this stage.

“He means a lot to the Washpool family, he is a pet to many people in the village and we would like to give him every chance before making such a heart-breaking decision.”

The volunteers have now turned to the public for help with Eric’s recovery.

They need to raise £700 in the next week and are also looking for extra volunteers to help clean out his temporary pen and hold him while his leg is cared for.

Claire added: “If we cannot find this additional support we will have no choice but to stop Eric’s treatment.

“Our financial reserves will be down to a critical level and we would run the risk of being unable to care for the rest of the flock.”

If you would like to donate to help Eric, then look out for collecting tins around Chiseldon or place your donation in an envelope marked ‘Eric’ and post it through the door at Lavender Cottage, 26 Turnball.

Alternatively, if you would prefer to offer your time to help with pen cleaning or holding Eric during treatment you can email washpool@gmail.com.