Family dog shot dead weeks after son dies
When Sarah Beck's son Lincoln died aged just seven the family were heartbroken. But at least they had the dog he doted on as one of many ways to keep his memory alive.
Instead, just a few weeks after the tragedy, the beautiful husky has been shot dead within yards of the family home by a farmer who says it was chasing his sheep.
Devastated Sarah, 29, says the Siberian husky had been a sentimental link with her son, who suffered from cerebral palsy.
Farmer John Beattie says the dog was worrying his sheep – but Sarah claims he was 'waiting for her with his gun'.
Pictures of the dead animal posted on her Facebook page, have caused an online backlash against the shooting.
The pair live opposite each other in the village of Enville, near Stourbridge.
Ms Beck, who was brought up in Burntwood, lives there with her children Ivy, aged five, two-year-old Theodore and until recently, Lincoln, who died at home on October 25 aged just seven from pneumonia as a result of his life-limiting condition.
She said: "Lincoln loved the way Nico would nuzzle him and put her head on his lap. She was my beautiful bestie.
"She was very careful with him. She was so good with youngsters that she was due to start working at a children's hospice. Lincoln adored her.
"Since his death she's been like a comfort blanket for me.
"To lose my son and then face this, I feel full of despair, I can't eat or sleep since it happened."
The shooting took place shortly after noon on December 1.
Ms Beck, who has completed an online course in canine psychology, said the dog had accidentally slipped her lead and ran off in the direction of Mr Beattie's field.
Within seconds she heard two shots ring out and arrived to find Nico slumped lifeless on the ground.
She said: "She'd hardly entered the field. She didn't stand a chance."
Mr Beattie, who has farmed in Enville for more than 40 years, immediately rang the police to alert them to what had happened.
He said: "Nobody wants to kill a dog, I've got dogs of my own, but Sarah's had been in the field four times previously and on one occasion had killed one of my sheep.
"I don't think she let the dog off the lead deliberately but it was not responsive to her. This was an accident waiting to happen. I'd rather it hadn't happened, it's heartbreaking to kill a dog.
"The condition of her son is the only reason it hadn't happened before now. The whole thing is tragic."
Sarah posted a graphic picture of the bloodstained dead dog on Facebook, saying 'he was waiting for her with his gun'.
It led to a number of responses calling the killing 'evil' and 'absolutely disgusting'. Mr Beattie said he had suffered a backlash, but that the people of the village 'understood the situation'.
Staffordshire Police confirmed they were called to the incident but were taking no further action.
Force spokeswoman Sarah Davison said: "We received a report of an incident in a field in Enville, at around 12.10pm on Tuesday, December 1.
"It was reported that a dog had entered the field and attacked a pregnant ewe. It was therefore shot dead by the farmer, which was lawful action in view of the circumstances.
"An officer attended and spoke to those involved. There are no complaints of any criminal offences and there will be no further police involvement."