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Richard and Karen
Bronze Member
 England
205 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 7:38:30 PM
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We have had two horrific dog attacks this week on our sheep, last Tuesday we had one which was so badly mutilated having lost half its face we had to shoot it.
Yesterday Saturday one of our elderley tame ewes who was very much a pet was badly mauled, we did hope she could be saved especially due to the fact she was in lamb. The vet took one look at her and shot her she was to badly injured with crush injuries to the face.
We suspect the dogs invloved but can not prove it to the owners who let them roam freely.
What also upsets me being an animal lover, is the fact I am going to be left with no choice but to shoot the dogs involved if caught. The idea of shooting a dog deeply upsets me but due to someones ignorance I will be left with no choice. Has anyone else been in a similar situation.
Richard
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mogwai
Platinum Member
England
2717 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 7:47:01 PM
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God, how awful, though to be honest it really doesn't surprise me! I have 2 dogs who are completely oblivious to sheep ( i have a friend who is a sheep farmer and bar eating sheep poo, they are totally uninterested). however, i wouldn't dream of walking through a field with any livestock in without having them on leads. The same rule seems not to apply to the majority of dog owners round here. It's very sad, and as usual the only ones to really suffer are the animals.
Ros |
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pathannay
Gold Member
United Kingdom
938 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 8:07:32 PM
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Richard
So sorry to hear this news - which ewes was it? Surely if you say to the suspected dog owner that you think it was theirs and that you will have no choice to shoot them if you catch them they will keep them in just in case? I do hope it doesn't happen again - what will happen when the lambs are here - it doesn't bear thinking about.
Pat x |
www.azizaarabians.co.uk |
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Richard and Karen
Bronze Member
England
205 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 8:40:08 PM
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| Hi Pat good to hear from you, the ewe savaged yesterday was one of my Hampshire pedigrees she was known as 84, but yes with lambing fast approaching and our first foal of the year due in four weeks I am worried.Our neighbour has lost 4 ewes in the last two weeks with similar injuries. But as I am away for most of the week at the moment it is a concern. I was due to be in Wiltshire today for a family birthday but did not think I could leave the sheep unprotected. |
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Vera
Membership Moderator
United Kingdom
8652 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 9:05:29 PM
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I'm so sorry to read this Richard, would a couple of signs on the gates saying 'Due to recent savaging loose dogs will be Shot' help?
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Hampshire |
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bridie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2395 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 9:41:38 PM
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Hi Richard....sorry to hear about your losses.
Hope you are both well.
mandy |
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sabinelenny
Silver Member
England
413 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2009 : 10:39:17 PM
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Dear Richard and Karen!
So sad for you! Please read my thread and article on 'Impact of an irresponsible dog owner' as this happened to my beautiful mare 2 1/2 years ago. I had to get the police involved and go to court several times. Unfortunately as you quite rightly point out it is not the dog's fault, but the owner's lack of responsibility and understanding of the possible impact.
Sabine |
   
www.purespiritarabians.com |
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precious
Platinum Member
England
2253 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2009 : 11:19:18 AM
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| So sorry to hear whats happened. I would def do what Vera said put signs up at the field entrances at lease your covered from any problems if you do have to protect your animals there was warnings put out! |
     
Gemma Thompson
Birmingham West Midlands
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Mrs DJ
Gold Member
632 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2009 : 8:31:28 PM
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We've just had to destroy a sheep tonight.
I'm so distressed - I actually saw the poor thing being mauled.
Now I have a problem.
My husband is insisting I report the incident, as I witnessed it happening, but the YO is very elderly, has heart problems, and I don't think he's likely to want to report it.
He thinks people will exact retribution on the farm if they are caught and the dog destroyed.
The sheep doesn't even belong to him - they were just here for winter grazing. He's contacted the owner to come for the rest of them ( we got the rest out of the field where it happened ), but hasn't yet told him that one has had to be destroyed!
And, we think it's happened before. We found a sheeps foreleg in the manege a while back, presumably dropped by a scavenging fox. However, even the YO has no idea how many sheep were actually up in the top field so we couldn't do a headcount.
Can anyone suggest the best course of action??
Sorry for being so long winded, but I have this awful image still in my head, and I don't know what to do for the best.
And, since all I know is that the dog was a Staffy, would the police even do anything.
Please HELP!!! |
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flaxen
Bronze Member
56 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2009 : 9:20:59 PM
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| I think you should report it particularly as foaling and lambing season are fast approaching. If the dog has done it once it will do it again. You know the breed and a rough description of the dog and that may help the police out. Are you by public footpaths or is it private land? If you asked around the local people may recognise the description of the dog and may point you in the direction of the owner without necessarily letting the locals know why you are trying to trace it. |
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Mrs DJ
Gold Member
632 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2009 : 10:27:34 PM
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Have been informed (by a policeman friend) that it has to be reported by the owner or the 'responsible' person.
However, it sounds as tho' the YO is trying to find out who the dog belongs to, as he says they need prosecuting, and the dog needs destroying (now I feel guilty for thinking he didn't want to deal with the situation).
This is a small village, so perhaps this can be resolved before anymore animals are harmed - the worry being that with the sheep gone the dog will turn its attentions to the horses.
I just wish that idiot owners would learn that dogs should always be kept on a lead when walking in fields with ANY kind of livestock in them.
(Still got horrific pictures in my head - off to hit the whiskey bottle)  |
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2009 : 11:26:47 PM
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Last year I put my 6 year old black and white collie to sleep. I knew she was naughty with the sheep and since whe moved here in 2003 I always had to keep an eye on her. Unfortunately, late last summer she took off and my daughter couldnt find her, so I went calling and she came from the field in front of the house where sheep and cattle are. The farmer came to my door and said he would shoot her if he caught her again. So I kept her on a lead even when mucking out I kept hold of her. About a month later I became aware of my other collie making an odd barking noise and when I went out her leather collar had broken and she was gone. She was tied in the barn as my son was leaving early for the airport. I called her and she came from the field, she was out of breath, I put my hand under her chin and there was a slight trace of blood, so off she went to the vet.
I hated doing it as she was such a lovely character and loved travelling in the car and was so loving. If people know their dogs chase sheep then they should do the right and decent thing and put them to sleep or rehome them with a family away from livestock. |
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susan p
Gold Member
Scotland
915 Posts |
Posted - 05 Feb 2009 : 11:51:18 PM
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My friends lurcher pup used to chase sheep,her cottage is on a sheep farm and the farmer caught her dog with a mauled sheep and told her to do something about it or he would shoot it.She phoned an old college friend in Edinburgh and asked her to take the dog,luckily she did and now the lurcher has a new happy life in the city and she has a cat! |
www.blackislearabians.com
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated
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Cate
Platinum Member
Scotland
1785 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2009 : 09:08:53 AM
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I tried to rehome Blue twice before I moved to the country for various reasons and it was a disaster, wont go into it, but one of them instead of saying she wasnt working out they took her to the Police and said they found her, fortunately, she was chipped! The first people were awful to her and she kept running away, both people she was only with a short time, but that's why I put her down and my vet does not put down healthy dogs for no good reason. It was a heartbreaking decision, but I just couldnt take the chance of her actually killing a lamb or being shot by the farmer.
I saw what she did to the lamb by just chasing it, she had taken a bite into the flesh just above the hock and the lamb was very distressed naturally.
A farmer not too far from us shot a Riding Schools 2 dogs with one bullet last year. The face of the one was half gone, but the other dog was left dying a very slow death until the Police found them and took the dog still alive to the vet to be put down.
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susan p
Gold Member
Scotland
915 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2009 : 12:21:46 PM
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Cate,This must have been horrible for you,but I agree with you definately better to have her put to sleep by your vet than shot by a farmer,how awful that he left it to die |
www.blackislearabians.com
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated
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NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2009 : 12:50:10 PM
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Richard this is terrible news, I'm so sorry to hear about it.
I hope the owners are caught! |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
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nikki
Platinum Member
Wales
4384 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2009 : 12:56:36 PM
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| my horses were attacked by a dog once, it went up the road after a girl leading a pony, nearly caused a car crash, police came out but didn't know what to do so had to get a local slaughtman out to shoot it. |
pagey |
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 06 Feb 2009 : 5:39:38 PM
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Defintely tell the police; put a sign up by footpaths etc saying animals have been terribly injured and destroyed as a result of dog attacks (include a few gruesome pics if you can) and add a note about the legalities of you shooting any dog found (double check what the legal position is; I know it's quite tricky).
And shoot any ***** dog you find. In my book ANY dog off its owner's private property should be muzzled, on a short lead, and held by a person capable of controlling it - well, obviously not working dogs! Thing is, now this animal has discovered the fun of chasing and killing it will do it again and again, so I think the police will do something.
Cate: I feel for you, that was very brave and decent of you; especially as you had done everything possible to keep everyone safe. Good for you for not dumping the problem on someone else. Hat goes off to you. |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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