AN angry family will shoot a dog dead if he savages their pet sheep again after a court orders the animal's owner to muzzle him outside.

Two sheep had to be put down and other sheep have been seriously injured following the bloody attacks at a small holding in Offenham, near Evesham.

The attacks have angered the Tanner family who own the sheep and urge dog owners to keep their pets on a lead and under control around their livestock - or face the consequences.

The Tanners, who love animals, say they do not want to shoot the dog but will do so if he returns to maul their sheep.

Anna Maria Misielak admitted two counts of failing to prevent her 'mastiff type' Woodrus from worrying livestock when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester on January 25.

The sheep are owned by Lisa and Tony Tanner and their children Milli, 16, Eloise, 14, India, 13 and Scarlett, 11.

Magistrates made a control order which stipulates that the dog must be kept under ‘proper control’ by being muzzled at all times when in public.

Misielak’s home must also be properly fenced to prevent the dog escaping. Misielak lives with the 'strong' black and tan dog around three quarters of a mile away from the Tanners.

Mrs Tanner was awarded £50 in compensation by magistrates and Misielak must the vet’s bill of £784.96.

A letter sent to the Tanners by the court after the hearing says Misielak must pay the compensation or the court will take enforcement action, which can result in a sentence of imprisonment if the money remains unpaid.

However, the Tanners feel the dog should have been removed by the Dog's Trust and rehomed with 'more responsible' owners, preferably in an urban area away from livestock.

Mother-of-four Mrs Tanner said there had been at least two proven attacks by the same dog but suspected he had carried out five in total over a period of just three months.

The first proven attack by Woodrus happened in May last year when he bit pet sheep Lewis to his stomach and another sheep, Ronnie, to his neck, leaving him with 17 puncture wounds.

Both sheep survived and the dog's owners extended their apologies through the police who arranged for them to pay the £200 vets bill.

Mrs Tanner, 45, warned the couple at the time of the first attack that if Woodrus got onto a neighbour's land the dog would be shot to protect the lambs.

On another occasion Mrs Tanner described how a dog was prowling about outside in the middle of the night and she ran out and fired an air rifle to scare the animal off. However, she could not be 100 per cent sure it was Woodrus.

An attack by Woodrus followed in August when he mauled ewe Meg, leaving her with a grapefruit-sized wound in her leg. She had to be put down straight away.

A five-year-old ewe called Nimble was also savaged, the attack damaging the femoral artery.

A vet came to clean and stitch the wound and administer antibiotics but two weeks later the wound had become so badly infected Nimble had to be put down.

Mrs Tanner said: "It's frustrating. Every morning we don't know what we're going out to. Although the police did what they could they're not allowed to remove the dog from the owner.

"Nobody wants to shoot a dog but if it comes back, we have to look after our livestock. The only thing left for us is to shoot the dog.

"Even if your dog thinks it's playing with a sheep it can cause a sheep to miscarry or cause them to have heart attacks and drop dead.

"No-one knows what their dog is capable of until they have done it. Please keep them on a lead near livestock."

Mr Tanner said Misielak got the animal from the Dog's Trust and the trust should now rehouse it which he said was the charity's policy.

The 53-year-old said he would 'definitely' shoot the dog if it attacked his animals again.

A spokesman for Evesham Dogs Trust said: "We are saddened about this situation but once Dogs Trust dogs are rehomed we no longer have any legal right of ownership.

"Though we have asked Woodrus’ owners if we can take him back into our care and rehome him elsewhere we are not in a legal position to reclaim him.

"We offer behavioural support and advice for all Dogs Trust dogs once they have been rehomed and have offered this advice to Woodrus’ owners."