Grieving Shropshire border family suffer further agony as dog shot by farmer
The family of a boy who died aged just seven have faced further heartbreak after the dog he doted on was shot dead – just weeks after the tragedy.
Sarah Beck was left devastated by her son Lincoln's death. But they had Nico, the Siberian husky he loved, as a way of keeping his memory alive.
Instead, just a few weeks after the tragedy, the husky has been shot dead within yards of the family home in Enville, near Bridgnorth, by a farmer who says it was chasing, and had killed, one of his sheep.
Sarah, 29, said: "To lose my son and then face this, I feel full of despair, I can't eat or sleep since it happened."
Ms Beck, lives there with her children Ivy, aged five, two-year-old Theodore and until recently, Lincoln, who died at home on October 25 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.
The shooting took place shortly after noon on December 1. Ms Beck said the dog had accidentally slipped her lead and ran off in the direction of farmer John Beattie's field.
Within seconds she heard two shots ring out and arrived to find Nico slumped lifeless on the ground.
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 dog 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 heartbreakingto kill a dog.
"The condition of her son is the only reason it hadn't happened before now. The whole thing is tragic."
Pictures of the dead animal posted on her Facebook page, have caused an online backlash against the shooting.
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."
