Lambs Just Kept Coming, Owner Says: 77 Sheep Seized; 60 More Are Found

Mar 28, 06:03 AM

Current Headlines: By Michael Biesecker and Toby Coleman, The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.

Mar. 28--APEX -- The suburban shepherd who shared his downtown Apex house with 77 sheep said that so many lambs were born this year that he was a little overwhelmed, but denied he abused his flock.

"It was just bad timing for me," David Watts said Tuesday. "I just got hit with the extra animals this year that needed extra supervision."

Veterinarian Kelli Ferris, who examined the sheep that Watts surrendered to Wake County animal control officers Monday, said that some in the flock showed signs of serious neglect that had been continuing for many months, probably years.

So far, 30 of the sheep have been euthanized after it was determined they were too sick to recover.

Apex Police Chief Jack Lewis said Tuesday that Watts, 47, will be charged with numerous counts of animal cruelty, the penalty for which can include jail time.

Meanwhile, an investigation was opened in Chatham County, where officials found 60 more sheep owned by Watts, along with a couple of cows and llamas. A veterinarian was expected to give this second flock a closer examination today.

Ferris said the condition of Watts' sheep was among the worst she had ever seen.

The hooves of some in the flock had never been trimmed, allowing them to grow so long they curled back around under the bottoms of the feet -- resulting in open, infected sores that caused the sheep to walk on their knees.

Sheep skulls and bones were scattered in the small backyard pens where the animals apparently died and were left to rot. The decomposing carcasses of several other sheep and newborn lambs were found in a nearby compost pile.

"It was a pretty terrible situation," said Ferris, an assistant professor at N.C. State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "Many of these sheep had deep infections into the bones of their feet. It is very, very painful. ... Many of the sheep had big, deep abscesses on their chests where they had been down so much, dragging themselves."

John Sauls, the director of Chatham County Animal Control, said Tuesday he noticed that some of Watts' other sheep also appeared to be having problems.

"They seemed not so bad, for us people who don't know a whole heck of a lot about sheep," Sauls said. "It appeared the only problem may be with their hooves."

Records show that since 2000, officials with the town of Apex and Wake County animal control made numerous visits to Watts' in-town house at 205 W. Moore St., following dozens of complaints about flies, noise and the stench of feces. Police say the animals lived downstairs in the house, while Watts stayed upstairs.

Despite the repeated complaints, officials said Tuesday they saw no signs of serious trouble until earlier this month.

"Normally, especially when we go out in a livestock situation, we work with the owner to improve the health there on the property," said Michael Williams, the director of Wake County's Animal Care, Control and Adoption Section. "We're not out looking to take anyone's animals from them. That's the last thing we want to do."

Williams said state law does not allow his officers to seize neglected animals unless they can show they would otherwise die within hours.

Ferris, who spoke with Watts on Monday, said he exhibited classic signs of a person driven to hoard animals.

"Animal hoarding is really one of the worst challenges we face," Ferris said. "Often it is women and cats, but in this case it was a man with sheep. It's OK when it's Barbie dolls, but when it's animals it never turns out well."

On Tuesday evening, Watts retreated from Apex to his land near Moncure to care for his remaining sheep, a couple of cows, three chickens, two llamas and a dog. He said he had planned to relocate the Apex flock to the country.

His arms were covered with bug bites, and his olive green shirt was sweaty as he moved amid his animals' interconnected pens. Sheep bleated now and then as they stomped around the dirt pens as he showed how well all of his sheep were walking.

A hill of scrub land rose in the distance. Watts said he planned to let his sheep graze on it and hoped in a couple of years they would turn it into green pasture.

Watts said he started raising sheep about a decade ago because he wanted them to graze down the land into pasture. His small flock grew, though, as he fell in love with raising sheep.

"They're a lot more connected to their owner and a lot more mannerly than a cow or a goat," he said. "I just enjoy it more each year. They're just great. ... They're relaxing to be around. It's like in Florida, you can swim with the dolphins. If you can get sheep to follow you, it might be a similar experience."

He said he doesn't raise the animals for meat and tries to bottle-feed orphaned lambs himself because they follow him around for the rest of their lives.

"They follow me, the sheep follow them, that's the way it was done in the old days. You read your Bible, that was how it was done. It makes for more happy sheep."

Staff writer Michael Biesecker can be reached at 829-4698 or mbieseck@newsobserver.com.

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