Farmers shooting dogs

[Godzilla]

Until recently there were sheep on a section of the route where I take my dogs walking. A notice at each end of this section urges that dog owners keep their digs on a lead, which we always do. I have observed other owners not keeping to this as their dogs take no notice of the sheep, but one idiot had his dog off lead and was throwing a ball down the slope where the sheep graze. The dog was not interested in the sheep, but the very fact that it was running up and down amongst them could quite easily have spooked them and resulted in injury or miscarriage.

[cgksheff]

I thought a shot gun couldn't be used within 100 metres of a build up area?

 

You are mistaken in thinking so.

[stevvieboi]

Hi sorry for your loss stevvieboi, we have just last Monday had our dog shot by a farmer, a friend of ours took our Siberian huskies out for a walk, she had them on the lead and unfortunately our 2 year old got off the lead and went into into the farmers field where there were sheep, at this our 17 year old friend panicked and dropped the other lead off our 6 yr old she went chasing the 2 yr old into the field. Our friend was screaming for them to come back but she couldn't get past the fence S it was barb wire, the dogs had gone in a hole. Our friend could see the dogs and the baby was playing or chasing one sheep, this is wrong I know and we never let the dogs off the lead except on the beach where there are no livestock for miles! the farmer came on to the field because someone had called him, he saw our friend and looked at her, he walked over to the dogs, older one stating wagging her tail she was just sniffing around, he walked up to the younger one got hold of him and shot him, unfortunately there was a dead sheep and we would of paid him for this! Our older dog went straight back to our friend when the gun went off, The farmer then went over to our friend threatened her and said get that dog away now or I'll shoot it, she asked was there another dog and he said there was I've fxxxxxxx shot it! She proceeded to come home distraught. Our friend went to get the dog that had been shot and he said there was no blood on the sheep! The police have formerly warned my husband and our friend they could be prosecuted. My husband just wants the firearms licence taken off the farmer so he can't do this again. My husband is a serving soldier and has to adhere to guidelines, why hasn't this farmer adhered to the law, he gave no warning shot and he knew our friend was the owner/ guardian, the police are completely on the side of the farmer and won't even take our friends statement as this would be more paperwork as he saids, there are photographs apparently off a witness but we haven't seen them, will the vet not have to have a vet to have a look at this sheep for insurance purposes, and our dog had been poorly the week before, his vet and nurses said he was one of the best huskies they'd seen he was so good, and we have lots of witnesses to say he was a very friendly dog, we are upset about our baby and in the way he was shot, the farmer had hold of him, he was no longer a threat to his livestock and we are so sorry if the sheep did die as a result of the chase, we would just like the laws changed, please can any one advise or email me thanks, we also think this is not nice and leaves a bitter taste in our mouth, the insurance will pay the amount we payed for the dog and it wasn't a lot as we rescued him, we will have to pay this back to the insurance for the excess for the sheep, where's the justice, he gets money back for the sheep and walks away happy, we walk away with grief unhappiness a dog that is grieving for her mate and no little boy :-( thanks for your advise.

 

Hi just got your message, farmers just use this as an excuse, in todays day and age their must be an alternative to shooting peoples beloved pets, i still am trying to come to terms losing my girl, still have not being able to look at any of her pictures, as for the police they will always take the side of the farmer, i tried to get an online petition going, to have it heard in court, and have this law changed, but i needed 100000 signatures, within a year of starting it, and it never got 1000 to sign it, i have attached copy of the nfu advice on this, and the gun law, but am afraid you may be banging your head against a brick wall, i am still trying to find a way to get the farmer who shot mine, i hope you have more success than me, it is a painful thing to go through and i know exactly what you're going through and feeling, yes i myself know its wrong, but they say a dog chasing them is enough to worry them, does this apply to children and adults, and if so can they shoot them?? my dog never marked the sheep nor killed any and was just standing when he shot her, if you send me your email i have a copy of the nfu guidelines

 

regards steve

[AF Removals]

Do you happen to live at Farley?

[stevvieboi]

the timberland is a new breed evolved over the last few years, yes i live in a village, the field to the back of my house has never had sheep in it, in the last 16 years i have lived here, someone rented the field and put sheep in it, she has never worried them before, and even when out in the garden my dogs are not left alone, if i knew for a minute she was capable of jumping the height of the gap in the hedge, my property is surrounded by 12 ft conifers apart from a gap where the farmer put a gate into this field for the previous owner of the house which is 8ft high anyway, we were told she was running up and down along the back of the gardens trying to find a way out, i am only guessing she was trying to find a way to get out to us, after racing to get our old collie of the road, as farmers say worrying them is enough to cause all sorts, it was not lambing session, but if a child or an adult was chasing them, as this also happens does the farmer have the right to shoot them? dogs are now a huge part of families lives, since this law was written, i just believe an alternative can be found, if they can bring down an elephant in seconds with a dart, why cant this be used on a domestic dog, my opinion the farmer has also got to be responsible for his flock and to put them in a field that has houses all around it, with gardens backing onto the field with dogs, they say a sight of a dog is enough to worry sheep, then why put them in a position like this in the first place, he is trigger happy, and used to take pot shots at cars from a flyover, my dog was just standing when he shot her, looking at the nfu guidelines, then this is not advised, but its one rule for farmers and none for the owner, no matter who is right or wrong

[gnvqsos]

I thought when using a farmer's field there is a duty of care to be exercised by the visitor.In other words you have to be on best behaviour and therefore take care of dogs.Dogs are quite threatening animals and unpredictable.I am sure that if the farmer were to break the law the police would act.If you buy a dog the exercise should be done at your own expense and not on a farmer's land even when there appear to be no livestock present.Would you want local dog-walkers releasing their animals in your garden?

[stevvieboi]

the area i live in is green belt the field is an ex coal board with public right of way through it, and yes their is guidelines when walking through fields, even the outdoor access code states this, i never walked my dogs near fields with livestock in them, i always use the forrestry commision land, the field to the back of me very rarely got used for livestock was more used for the owner to grow the grass for cutting for his cattle, the sheep were only in the field for a short time, i think if their is evidence that sheep have being killed, then the use of a shotgun being used, this guys latest was to kill a load of moles then to nail them to a fence for all to see, on a school route also, now that to me is disgusting, distress it could have caused to some kids seen that on the way to school,

 

---------- Post added 16-02-2013 at 21:22 ----------

 

Do you happen to live at Farley?

 

no i am in fife scotland

[Vague_Boy]

my dogs never get out by themselves......

 

....she decided to make a bolt out the driveway and ran up the road....

 

...i can only presume that my 15 month old timberland looked through the cat flap in the gate and seen me running out the drive, where she decided to jump the fence at the back into this field....

 

You've managed to contradict yourself twice in one paragraph.

[gnvqsos]

the area i live in is green belt the field is an ex coal board with public right of way through it, and yes their is guidelines when walking through fields, even the outdoor access code states this, i never walked my dogs near fields with livestock in them, i always use the forrestry commision land, the field to the back of me very rarely got used for livestock was more used for the owner to grow the grass for cutting for his cattle, the sheep were only in the field for a short time, i think if their is evidence that sheep have being killed, then the use of a shotgun being used, this guys latest was to kill a load of moles then to nail them to a fence for all to see, on a school route also, now that to me is disgusting, distress it could have caused to some kids seen that on the way to school,

 

---------- Post added 16-02-2013 at 21:22 ----------

 

 

no i am in fife scotland

 

I have seen dead moles displayed,and first saw them aged 8-9.I have survived this trauma but have asked my wife to never buy velvet curtains.The killing of moles is an old practice,the price you pay yo live in the countryside.I suggest you move to somewhere more urban where you will see plastic bags of dog-owners poo displayed on fencing which is far more offensive to me.