A sheep on the loose for days in Haddonfield is caught

A sheep on the loose in Haddonfield had kept police busy for days, with residents calling to report appearances of the animal, and officers trying - unsuccessfully - to catch it.

That is, until Friday.

A resident's tip brought police and an animal-control officer from Winslow Township - which has tranquilizer guns, unlike Haddonfield's animal-control unit - to a wooded area near the 800 block of Edge Park Drive.

The animal-control officer searched the woods. Then, upon seeing the sheep around 1:30 p.m., the officer shot the tranquilizer from about 30 yards, according to Haddonfield Police Lt. Jason Cutler, who was also present.

The control officer then carried the sheep from the woods and placed it in a van, where it was taken to Haddonfield's police station.

The animal was "safely and humanely rescued," the police department said in a Facebook post, quipping in apparent relief at finding the creature, "It was nice to see 'ewe'!!!"

The sheep's owner, who had called earlier this week to report that the animal had escaped from its Cherry Hill pen, recovered it.

On Wednesday, the borough had posted on its Facebook page a report of "a large white sheep on the loose in the Haddonfield-Cherry Hill border area."

"The sheep is very skittish and runs away when approached," the borough post had stated. "Please do not attempt to catch the sheep, it may take it baaadly."

Cutler said the sheep wouldn't let anyone get close to it. In his 23 years on the force, he said, this is the first time he's ever had to follow a sheep.

"It's not normal to have sheep running around Haddonfield," he said. "Definitely not."

mboren@phillynews.com

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