Remembering Derek; a note on tail docking
As you may have seen on our Instagram, our truly amazing little lamb Derek was put to sleep last month. This was the hardest decision we have ever had to make and we are still devastated.
Derek came to us with several medical issues which persisted over the past few months, despite progress being made in some areas. The issues included scarring on his lungs and consequent pneumonia risk, a large abscess on his rump, a constant fever, elevated heart and respiratory rates, and high risk of pathological fractures. These were all secondary issues to dealing with a serious bone infection called spinal osteomyelitis, which left him unable to walk or stand on his own.
Derek ‘walking’ in his harness. Photo: Tom Woolard.
We had been doing physiotherapy sessions with Derek 2-4 times a day, where we would move and massage his limbs, do some stretching exercises on the ball, and get him to ‘walk’ a few steps at a time with the aid of a hand-held harness and some treats. This was a physically demanding task for both Derek and us, especially as he grew bigger and heavier! But Derek never grumbled or complained, always so keen to get moving when given the chance. His progress with physio was incredible - he went from being able to partially use one front leg, to having full use of both front legs and he loved the extra freedom that his wheelchair gave him.
New wheels!
However, near the end, we ran out of options to help Derek, as the vets refused to provide any further treatment due to their welfare concerns and thought he would not be able to live a ‘normal’ life. We fought so hard for him even after being told to put him to sleep on many prior occasions. He was bright and happy - but a long, good quality of life was just not possible, even if he was disabled and never fully walked again. In the end it was just all too much for Derek's little body to cope with and with no options medically, he would only be going downhill, so we made the heartbreaking decision to let him go.
Derek rapidly became the centre of attention at the sanctuary, being showered with cuddles and kisses all day long. He loved the fuss, and spent his days doing his physiotherapy, munching all the hay he would like, and relaxing with his other lamb friend Rupert. We would like to thank all our volunteers who gave Derek so much care over the last few months, and to everyone who has followed his story and donated to his care. Derek has only ever known love and was never afraid, he had medical care far beyond what most sheep get, and we want to thank our local vets and the team at the Royal Vet College for giving him a chance. Derek was treated as a someone, not a something and this was all possible because of everyone that supports us.
Rupert and Derek, two peas in a pod.
Derek, we are so grateful that you were in our lives and we hope you knew how much you were loved. We’re so sorry you couldn’t be with us longer. You taught us so much and will be cherished by so many. We will keep fighting for and saving more individuals like you because everyone deserves to know love.
We’ve told you the how of Derek’s death, and now we will tell you the why. Derek died because a farmer docked his tail. This caused the infection and subsequent myriad issues which ultimately led to his demise. Though the practise of tail docking is illegal in Britain for dogs, it is perfectly legal when done to sheep, and in fact most lambs in the UK will have their tail cut off within weeks or even days of being born.
The justification for this practise is to stop faeces and urine soiling the tail and preventing flystrike, where flies lay eggs in the soiled wool and the larvae eat into the sheep’s flesh. Yet, the reality is that flystrike is easily preventable if sheep are cared for properly. Here at Surge, many of our sheep have their natural longer tails which they can use to swat flies away. We keep a regular eye on our residents, and any symptoms would be noticed and taken care of straight away. We also use a flystrike treatment once a year as a preventative measure, which only involves putting some liquid on our sheep’s coat.
Our residents Toby, Dora, Ivy, and Olive, who all happily have their natural longer tails. Photo: Tom Woolard.
In addition, a balanced diet and being stress free encourages healthy, solid faeces which do not gather in the tail, unlike farmed sheep who often have diarrhoea as a result of the stress from being constantly herded, shouted at, and moved around. Moreover, the reason why flystrike is such a prevalent issue is because we have selectively bred sheep to produce excessive amounts of wool in pursuit of profit. Therefore, we have physically changed them for our own selfish reasons, then we mutilate them to prevent a condition that occurs precisely because we have selectively bred them.
Methods of tail docking include cutting off with a knife, burning off with a hot iron, and cutting off the blood supply with a rubber ring. Derek likely underwent the rubber ring method, which – despite being found to be the most painful – is the most commonly used method in the UK because it is extremely cheap and easy. It involves placing a tight ring at the top of the lamb’s tail, cutting off the blood supply to the lower half, leaving the tail to rot and fall off in a few weeks. Lambs suffer intense pain and distress being mutilated in this way, and they usually go without any anaesthetic or pain medication. And of course, this practise can be fatal as the ring cuts into the tissue leaving it open to infection, as tragically was the case with Derek. While those who commodify animals for a living may view a few dead lambs as par for the course, our whole world was shattered by Derek’s death, and his one and only shot at life was taken from him.
Derek’s disability and ultimate death was all completely preventable…please go vegan.
Some quotes from our sanctuary volunteers, in memory of Derek.
“I think absolutely everyone that knew Derek will agree he really was the sweetest little sheep. He had a true happiness and strength about him. He took everything that happened to him in his stride and the reason he got as far as he did was his drive to keep going and trust that we were doing the best for him. Derek really brightened all of our days and is very much missed” ~ Chloe.
“He had such a lust for life and it was an absolute pleasure knowing him and spending time with him. He was so determined and never winced/complained. He was an absolute gem” ~ Sami.
“He was always so intelligent and cheeky during physio! He worked out that he could use the ball to push forwards instead of getting his legs to do the work” ~ Aimee.
“He knew he was surrounded by love. You could see it in his eyes” ~ Emilia.
Love you forever Derek. Photo: Tom Woolard.