A PERSHORE man who made the national headlines for saving a stranded sheep off the Devonshire coast has been given a PETA Hero to Animals Award for the ‘heroic’ act.
PETA – the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – gave the accolade to Chris Oxlade-Arnott, 51, after his animal rescue mission along the Woolacombe coast in Devon vent viral, appearing in the Evesham Observer, the Daily Mail, the Metro, The Telegraph, The Times and the BBC.
During the incident, Chris and his wife Jilly, Oxlade-Arnott, 55, spotted a distressed sheep stuck on jagged rocks in the sea and decided to attempt a rescue mission.
As the tide was coming in, the sheep was unable to escape the rising waters, so Chris tentatively navigated the rocks, threw the sheep over his shoulders and made the difficult journey back to safety.
Chris told the Observer: “I had not expected quite such a media frenzy, it has certainly taken me by surprise.
“I’ve kept animals for many years, ducks, chickens, quail and cats.
“I was always taught by my parents to helps others in need, human or animal and I just did what needed to be done and save an animal in distress.
“To then be contacted by PETA was quite a thrill and it’s been my honour to accept their award.
“Asked would I do it all over again, yes of course I would.”
PETA, vice president, Elisa Allen said: “Thanks to Chris’ heroic efforts, what could have been a tragedy for the sheep had a happy ending.
“We hope his compassionate action will serve as inspiration to others to help animals in need.”
Visit: https://eveshamobserver.co.uk/news/pershore-man-makes-national-headlines-after-saving-stranded-sheep-on-devonshire-coast/ to read the original story.
