TWO sisters have saved a sheep from going to slaughter after seeing it every day at work and realising it would be sold for meat.

Sarah Ireland and her sister Helen Snowdon bought eight-month-old Colin the sheep off a farmer - just days before he was sent to be slaughtered.

Mrs Ireland, from Ombersley, said: "I eat meat myself so I don't place any judgment on others who do - but this has made me think about where it comes from.

"I'm lucky to be able to go to a butcher and know that meat is sourced locally, and sustainably, but some people can't do that.

"Lamb is definitely off my dinner table now."

Colin was previously owned by two farmers using land owned by Skinfolk, a wellness clinic based in Uphampton, Ombersley that Mrs Ireland works for.

Mrs Ireland said: "We came across two farmers who wanted land for their rare breed sheep.

"Of course it dawned on us that these sheep were being reared for meat.

"We didn't think about it at the time, when the farmers first came to us about land."

Colin was being reared for hogget meat, which is where a sheep is between one and two years old.

Mrs Ireland said: "Colin wouldn't take to its mother when it was born, so it had to be hand-reared and bottle-fed.

"Even the farmers have referred to him as a pet, and yet somehow they would have been happy to see it slaughtered.

"Colin's a beautiful sheared lamb - I feed it almost every single day.

"He loves rich tea biscuits."

Only last week, the team at Skinfolk helped raise enough funds to save Colin.

Mrs Ireland said: "The other sheep had been transported away already - so we were just in time.

"But Colin is all bought and paid for now."

Colin will go to Dean Farm Sanctuary in Shirenewton, Wales and a fundraiser has been organised for transport and care.

Mrs Ireland added: "My sister and I just need to find someone with a sheep box who can help us transport him."

The fundraiser takes place at Colin's café in Chepstow on Friday (November 8) with a themed quiz, raffle and auction planned from 5pm.