Sheep run amok in Dayton neighborhood

Sheep have been running around in Dayton’s Western Hill neighborhood, startling residents and visitors and eluding capture.

“We have had three sheep in our neighborhood, they started coming around about Oct. 6, then they left,” Eva Boddie said. “Then yesterday, we see this other sheep and it stayed, walked up and down the street, up and down sidewalks, eating grass.”

In particular, she said the sheep enjoyed eating the grass of her neighbor known as “Uncle Larry,” likely because of his organic yard treatments.

Boddie said she is concerned for the safety of children walking to and from their school bus, the letter carrier and other delivery drivers who come to the neighborhood.

“It jumped over that trash can like it was nothing. It was kicking and bucking. Yeah, it’s gotta go,” she said.

However, Boddie said she does not want the sheep harmed, or for any people to get hurt, either.

“We want people to know yes there’s sheep running around, be cautious but we want the sheep gone,” she said. “We just want the sheep out of the neighborhood and to a safe place.”

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Credit: Marshall Gorby

Among places she called was the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center. She was told they don’t do anything unless it was a farm animal.

“Isn’t a sheep a farm animal?” Boddie said.

But the ARC said it wouldn’t take the animal, Boddie said.

Her next idea was to call Dayton commissioners and candidates, which she said led Dayton police, Five Rivers MetroParks rangers and sheriff’s deputies to respond Friday in an effort to capture the sheep.

It is not clear where the sheep came from.

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