2 Labrador brothers shot dead

JohnW · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:21 am Post subject:

Cows and Horses will generally look after themselves. They can be the ones who injure our dogs. Sheep are the animals most at risk. Actually, all land in the UK belongs to someone so wherever we walk we are walking on someone else's property.

As another point. When the hunting with dogs bill went through to ban fox hunting it was said that it was not aimed at arresting the pet dog owner. Be warned! The first pet person has been arrested and faces a court case because their two dogs started to chase a wild Munjac Deer!

Regards, John

Topseyt · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:23 am Post subject:

The thing is, you can get public walkways through private property, as most farmland is criss-crossed with public footpaths, so there are not necessarily any great rules of thumb other than steer clear if there is livestock nearby (sheep, horses, cows etc.), and keep your dog on a lead if there is any.

It scares me too, and is one of the reasons I generally prefer keeping Charlie on lead now. True that there is little livestock in the fields near to us, but there are local riding schools and Charlie's recall, whilst not bad, is less than perfect. It all means that he is not well used to large animals, and therefore must be on lead if we happen to come upon them - I could not be quite sure how he would react.

True, as John says, that horses and cows are more likely to do damage to your dog than the other way round, but my worry is if the horse had a rider on and I was unable to get Charlie to come back in time. If it threw the rider because he barked at it then it would be my fault, so he has to be on lead.

When this sort of incident happens it is very distressing for all concerned.

Helen.

Sonia · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:36 am Post subject:

We had an incident involving cows the other day. I was up the local woods as usual and was with a friend who owns a boxer. We decided to explore a little path which runs around the back where lots of owners walk there dogs. Our dogs were offlead as this is where lots of owners let their dogs offlead. We came to a corner and lo and behold right next to a path was an small part of land with a dozen cows in it. Doobs and the Boxer had gone into this part but Doobs saw one cow and ran back out!!! But the boxer started chasing these poor cows and they got quite distressed. All I kept saying to my friend hat she must get her dog out of the field because he could get shot! Took her a while to get him out, but good ole Doobs just sat quietly next to me so I could pop his lead back on.

Won't be going that way again, I can tell you!

littlelab · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:46 am Post subject:

I have just been catching up on these threads, and once more I am appalled by the lack of care some people have for their dogs, this time of year is lambing and believe me these are a precious commodity to the farmer and they will have absolutely no hesitation in shooting a dog running loose!!

Keep you dogs on leads in the countryside, remember the Country Code as follows taken from http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things_to_know/countryside_code/keep_dogs_under_close_control

Keep dogs under close control
The countryside is a great place to exercise dogs, but it’s every owner’s duty to make sure their dog is not a danger or nuisance to farm animals, wildlife or other people.

By law, you must control your dog so that it does not disturb or scare farm animals or wildlife. You must keep your dog on a short lead on most areas of open country and common land between 1 March and 31 July, and at all times near farm animals.
You do not have to put your dog on a lead on public paths as long as it is under close control. But as a general rule, keep your dog on a lead if you cannot rely on its obedience. By law, farmers are entitled to destroy a dog that injures or worries their animals.
If a farm animal chases you and your dog, it is safer to let your dog off the lead – don’t risk getting hurt by trying to protect it.
Take particular care that your dog doesn’t scare sheep and lambs or wander where it might disturb birds that nest on the ground and other wildlife – eggs and young will soon die without protection from their parents.
Everyone knows how unpleasant dog mess is and it can cause infections – so always clean up after your dog and get rid of the mess responsibly. Also make sure your dog is wormed regularly.
You can also find out more by phoning the Open Access Helpline on 0845 100 3298.

Finally run free boys, may your souls be forever young

xx

Angelsmum · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:54 am Post subject:

The fields that we usually walk our dogs on is now full of livestock and sporting a very prominent sign saying that dogs off leads will be shot Sad

I always put my boys back on there leads even if I see livestock a few fields away.It is our responsibility to keep our dogs safe and farmers have the right to protect there stock.
I have obviously missed the thread about Tess,am I right in thinking she is allowed to rome freely Shocked

Run free boys x

Sonia · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:57 am Post subject:

Thanks for the link. I have to say though that I always keep Doobs onlead on places I know where cattle are. The cows we encountered took me completely by suprise and my friend who had been down this lane said she had never seen them there before. I would never allow Doobs to run around offlead where any livestock graze.

Nic · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

Just to add to this....

My dog walker had a nasty experience last week with a farmer and a shotgun. She found two of her neighbours dogs (not labs though) wandering in her garden which is next to a field. Before she could stop them the dogs owners started chasing the dogs who very quickly ran into the neighbouring field which was full of sheep.

Before they knew what had happened one of the dogs had killed two sheep and then been shot dead by the farmer, whilst the other dog ran away.

Now these dogs were supposedly recently rescued dogs who hadn't had any training whatsoever and had never been recalled before so I don't know why they'd been left to roam or what have them the instinct to kill the sheep, but stories like these really bring the point home.

trizia · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:59 am Post subject:

Only just caught up with this awful news... Crying or Very sad

.. Run free together pups out of harms way...

Have always been careful with Sherpa near livestock... always have him on his lead... couldn't risk him chasing lambs happily thinking he'd found new friends to play with and then bang and it's over Crying or Very sad

.. what an awful sad way to have this high-lighted to us....

Thoughts are with thier owners.. and also with You Rhoni and 3p.. I know how devastated you are both feeling..

Trizia and Sherpa x

dandog · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:00 pm Post subject:

This is something that truly terrifies me. Living where I do there are sheep absolutely everywhere and I rarely walk on footpaths through farmland as I'm never sure where there are sheep and doubt whether I would see them before Dan did. I tend to walk in woodlands most of the time.

I work in a private house which is situated bank, slap in the middle of a sheep farm. Dan is with me at work and I am totally neurotic about it and keep him on the lead if we ever even walk up the drive. Seven years ago I saw from my office window the shepherd shoot dead a lab which was worrying his sheep. It upset him terribly, but he had no option. The dog had already badly injured a lamb (or even killed it - I can't remember) and injured 2 ewes round the throat (one seriously). He tried very hard to avoid shooting it and gave it every chance. He called the dog, and it came to him, but before he could catch it it set off again after the sheep grabbing another ewe. This is when he shot it. It was awful to watch and he felt awful having to do it. The dog had no identification tag on it or a collar, and he didn't recognise it as being a local dog. It was obviously wandering although clearly owned by someone.

I had a horrible experience a couple of weeks ago. the son of my boss who is 17 sometimes takes Dan for a walk. I have him almost swear on oath that he will have him on a lead near the sheep. He's a nice boy, but in the words of the shepherd, "off with the fairies". He came to take Dan for a walk the other day, again I had the conversation about the sheep. I never relax until they are back safe! This time, when Dan was delivered back to the office, he starting ummming and erring, as 17 year old boys often do, and I finally got it out of him that Dan had chased some sheep Shocked

He had put him on the lead through the sheep field before getting into some woods, but on the way back, Dan went under the fence into the field ahead of him. Apparently he came back to him quite quickly, thank God, and no sheep was damaged. He said that about 6 men had been in the field at the time, including the shepherd, repairing a barn who had obviously seen. They hadn't spoken to him on the way out.

I wentto speak to the shepherd to apologise, and said that this boy had been walking the dog and how sorry I was etc. He just said "well, he's off with the fairies anyway"! It said it was fine, he hadn't been bothered by it and it wasn't a problem. Obviously he didn't see it as being a serious 'attack' as he does know Dan and obviously the boy. I almost wore out my pacemaker in 10 minutes!!

Never again! Dan is my responsibility and it was therefore my fault. I always take him out to woodlands at lunchtime and never walk him round the footpaths here for that reason. We are moving offices next week on to an apple farm....I scan every horizon for sheep in the vicinity but it doesn't look as bad as here.

Terrible for those dogs, irresponsible of the owners, and terrible for the farmer too - they can't take the decision lightly but it is a very serious issue.

maxsmum · Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:17 pm Post subject:

rhoni.
i have made nats post on the countryside law a sticky.

PLEASE READ IT EVERY ONE !!!!!!!