Injured sheep found roaming on LIE euthanized

A Suffolk County Sheriff's deputy helped rescue a female sheep on the Long Island Expressway on Sunday. Despite initial optimism that the animal, which had been struck, would recover, she was euthanized.

It was 3:55 p.m. when Dep. Laura Fallica, a 10-year veteran of the force, got a 911 call about a sheep on the LIE. Within a minute, Fallica said she located the sheep east of Exit 68 in Yaphank on the eastbound side of the road.

Fallica said four civilians had stopped to aid the sheep, which had been struck by at least one vehicle. The four helped corral the animal on the grass shoulder on the south side of the road and get her into her cruiser, Fallica said.

Attempts to identify the sheep's owner by checking with nearby farms were not successful, Fallica said, and the animal was taken to Riverhead Animal Hospital. She was put down about 5:30 p.m. after it was found she had a ruptured gut and broken left rear leg, Fallica said.

"I wish it had a better ending," she said. "But at least it didn't die in the woods and suffer."