>#Farmer who shot sheep-worrying husky walks free from court
>Campbell Thomas
>Monday March 06 2023, 12.01am GMT, The Times
>A farmer who killed a husky that was worrying sheep while on its lead has been cleared of endangering the dog owner’s life.
>Kenneth Bone, 64, who has worked on the land for 46 years, used a shotgun at point blank range to kill the dog which was in a field of lambs and pregnant ewes. The pet was inches from Sean Campbell, 25, the dog walker.
>Bone, from the Isle of Arran, walked free after a sheriff said he had no case to answer. He said:
>“It was a split-second decision but I had to shoot because the dog’s collar was about to come off and I knew it would go straight to the sheep.
>“It has been a huge strain on me but also my family to have this hanging over us for four years. I am relieved but upset it took all this time to prove my innocence.
>“It’s cost me a lot but farmers have to protect their livestock. I would do the same again if I had to.”
>Constable Colin Haddow told Kilmarnock sheriff court that he went to Glenkiln Farm near Lamlash to see Bone after the incident in April 2019.
>The officer, who has an agricultural background, said: “I’ve kept huskies for 20 years and I was aware it was a rehomed dog. They have a horrendous prey drive and their recall is very minimal if they’re off the lead.
>“It is hard going because they can smell horses, sheep and cows before you can. Then [their] prey drive takes over. You have to be in control of them at all times.”
>Campbell had been with his partner, who owned the husky called Luca, two young children and a lurcher.
>The husky ran ahead into the field. Pregnant ewes and lambs were there and PC Haddow said dogs could cause them significant injury: “It can be terrible, they rip their throats and the ewes can abort the lambs. It is horrible.”
>Campbell caught the husky, described as “larger than a collie”, and had it back on its lead but it was trying to slip its collar to get at the sheep, which had huddled together.
>Despite warning signs for dog walkers around the farm perimeter, the incident had been the fourth sheep worrying case in six months, the court heard. Several ewes had miscarried.
>Campbell, of Greenock, Renfrewshire, said he had seen Bone “snap shut” the shotgun as he approached and was still traumatised by being “fired upon”.
>He said: “The farmer was moving from side to side trying to get a clear shot at the dog. It was like he was on a power trip. It was like, you’re on my land and I can do what I like.”
> John Scullion KC, for Bone, said: “He stepped between you and the dog and shot it because you refused to give him the lead.”
>Sheriff Colin Bissett upheld a submission of no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.
Bone was cleared of culpably and recklessly discharging a shotgun and killing the dog, which was in “close proximity” to Campbell, exposing him to risk of death or injury and placing him in “fear, alarm and distress”.
>Bone is described at Companies House as a director of Arran Development Trust and the Arran Trust.
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Its sad but as someone who grew up in the country its common knowledge (or should be) that farmers have that right to protect their animals.
The guy should not have been walking a dog like that near livestock. People get huskies as status symbols without any research or care if theyd be a suitable pet (I now live in Spain and see many huskies for some reason). Its so unfair on the dogs.
This is hands down on the owner. I love dogs, farmers are great too, but you have no business managing a domesticated predator if you can’t completely control it the moment it becomes necessary.
As a husky owner, I personally wouldn’t take my dog in a field with livestock full stop.
Mine is never off lead. Normally always in a harness, the only way mine can get out is if he is trying to back out of it. Even then it’s pretty obvious and easy to stop him.
While it is pretty obvious to me at least to not go near sheep during this time of year, and to generally avoid farmers, It does sound a little suspicious that the farmer wanted the man to give the lead over to him, I wouldn’t be surprised if the farmer shot the dog out of frustration in general.
At the same time my heart goes out to the family with the dog, and the actual dogs terrified last moments.
Im really confused. The dog was on the lead when shot, the farmer shot the dog because it had already worried the sheep? Plus the farmer wanted the owner to pass the dog lead over to what? Execute the dog? It sounds to me the farmer had already decided he was going to kill the dog from it being off lead and despite the owner beginning to regain control of the situation the farmer chose to shoot a dog dead at point blank range while it was next to its owner, another adult and a child?
I hope the owner appeals this because it seems to be either there’s a lot more to the story or the farmer was indeed on a power trip.
For those who don’t want to read :
Farmer shot the dog while it was still on the lead (totally legal) regardless if the animal is out of control or under control he was well within his right to shoot the dog if it was causing distress to ANY animals he has on his farm. (in this case the dog was on the lead, it was pinned on its back to the floor by the owner, while the farmer approached the dog got up, and as a result was shot)
He was arrested for potentially endangering the owner of the dog by shooting the dog in proximity to the owner. It was deemed the owner of the dog was not in danger thus he was freed.
‘ Protection of livestock act 1953 protects the farmer since the dog was in proximity of his livestock so it becomes completely legal for him to shoot the dog regardless if it was on a lead or not. (Has to be causing stress to animals) given the owner was forcfully pinning his own dog on its back tells me the owner could not really control this dog even while on a lead
As someone who lives in the county and has had sheep, admittedly per sheep worried by dogs, fatally do in one case,I can understand the farmer exercising his right to protect his sheep. That said, it looks like he had made up his mind to shoot the dog come what may, so it seemed a case of clear intent imo and therefore wrong given the dog was,at the time, on the lead. I suspect there is more to this story than meets the eye. The farmer may well have been trying to keep the public off his land by setting an example snd gaining publicity. Farmers need all the public support they can get but sadly there are unpleasant individuals in all walks of life and that includes the farming community.
If your dog can’t behave around sheep, don’t take it anywhere near them lead or not.
> walks free from court
you mean “was found not guilty”
Hmmm I have nothing against farmers protecting livestock but this one sounds like a he has a screw lose to be honest
My partner used to have a husky, we loved this dog and trained it the best we could and tried to burn its energy off but nothing could ever tire this dog out. Once we took it to a large deer park, it was on a lead and harness and managed to get out of the harness when it pulled too hard. We spent hours trying to get her back and had to call the rangers for help, they told us they’d help and if the dog brought any harm to any of the deers, we’d have to pay for their veterinary care.
It was a horrible situation, we did thankfully get her back and never got a call about any injuries to the deer, but that incident made me see first hand that these dogs are a danger to wild animals so I can see why the farmer did what he did. I wish the owner was able to pick the husky up and walk away before it slipped its collar again, but I guess we’ll never know if he tried to do that.
Husky’s, like staffis, are very popular amongst people who shouldn’t even have a goldfish as a pet. They’re very hard dogs to keep, needing a lot of training and exercise. They’re also very stubborn dogs, so if he was about to escape from his lead, no way would the dog come back.
‘The dog straining at the lead to get to the sheep’ would already be worrying the sheep enough to cause harm, abortions, death from stress etc.
The dogs owner should have been the one taken to court.
I just don’t understand why people rescue these big dogs.
So often they know nothing at all about their background – and so often because they are rescued as adults, they struggle to train them properly (or – the owners fail to train them properly).
And again, a family with two young children.
Just…. Why?
Seems to me like all you’re doing is bringing a dangerous and unpredictable animal into your life.
I think the farmer was justified – he thought the collar would break, and his ewes were pregnant. If you can’t walk your dog past animals without it losing it’s shit, you need to keep it away from animals.
Reading that, I’m not buying the farmer just wasn’t pissed and wanted to kill the animal.
The lead is irrelevant here. Sheep can easily miscarry through fear and the presence of a dog trying to get at them is enough. It should never have been in the field, especially since the farm had signs up warning people of this.
ITT: a lot of dog owners who are worried about their animals being rightly shot by farmers.
I sometimes take my friend’s siberian huskey for a walk and I love the dog to bits but would I ever walk him around livestock? Definitely not! Insane prey drive and strength, he’s almost slipped his harness just trying to chase birds and squirrels.
I’m with the farmer here. As much as I love my dog and he’s a tiny one, you have be very careful around other animals. I want to know exactly what the owner was thinking taking s husky of all breeds around a farm full of animals…
Shooting the dog isn’t the illegal thing, please stop arguing about that! He was in court for endangering the owners, which the farmer was found not guilty of. That’s it’s.
Whether you like it or not it is perfectly legal for the farmer to protect his livestock on his property. That was never in question here.
Which was the correct decision.
It’s well known that dogs worrying sheep and can be shot. The fact it was caught and put back on a lead is no excuse and the farmer was entitled to take action based on his honestly held belief.
For those who vehemently disagree, that’s you opinion and in this case, you are wrong. the court acquitted the farmer as he acted appropriately.
Impossible to know on this tbh. I’ve known many people mismanage their dogs, and many farmers be more restrained than required.
Equally though, I’ve known a fair few farmers misuse the protection they have to use guns, I’ve seen them point them at people, and even without dogs around, and I’ve never known one lose a shotgun cert.
EDIT: What I would say, with reasonable experience of them, is that you generally couldn’t be very confident of this shot being safe! Shotgun at distance within a metre of a person ain’t reasonable.
Context: a worried sheep or flock will likely go on a massive stampede and often lose their lambs due miscarriage.
They are very sensitive creatures and the actual livelihood of the farmer.
Poor dog, but please bear in mind that a dog is a predator and needs to be under control.
The sheep would have been lambing or with very young lambs during the time this happened. I love dogs, but an excited husky in a field of lambs and recovering ewes? Nope.
So, a dog-walker takes a dog that they ADMIT has an uncontrollable prey drive towards a field of sheep, struggles to recover the dog back onto the lead, and then the dog is trying to escape its collar…
Farmers are permitted to destroy any animal worrying their livestock. This is common knowledge. The owner had no business taking such a dog anywhere near a field of livestock in the first place, and a dog that size and nature should not just be leashed to a collar, but a strong harness. It’s a tragic and upsetting case and I can’t imagine how the owner feels, but it does sound like blame rests squarely on the owner for this.
Farms are not safe to walk on with or without dogs for the public in some cases. A farmers field is not as safe as a public park. If you do hike or dog walk near a farm make sure to talk to the farmer if you can (if the farmer seems aggressive defo stay away) read the warnings they put up.
Not only for dog walkers attacked by cattle when they’re with their young every year (or bulls when they’re in breeding) or dogs shot for chasing sheep.
There’s also dangers with equipment and on some farms lots of pesticides used that are not great for you or your dog.
When farmers graze cattle on common land they have to apply and usually send out less aggressive cattle in a good season where they don’t have young. Even then I wouldn’t try to pet or feed them for photos
Be sensible. If the livestock is pregnant or with their young stay away from the field. If the field is empty, check for bulls. A herd of nervous or protective cattle can panic and stampede. If the farmer has seeded the field or sprayed pesticides stay away. Winter can be safer than spring or summer, especially after a harvest. Don’t shake a bucket or bag with horses in a field they can run at you or get bitey
I’m a MASSIVE dog lover and this is tragic for all involved.
It’s really simple. Keep your dogs away from livestock at all costs. If this absolutely isn’t possible, then on a short lead, distract them with food, ball etc. and get past as quickly as possible.
Sheep are particularly susceptible to stress. Think woolly lemmings.
Regardless of how “good” your dog is. Just avoid as much as possible. Safest for everyone involved.
Irresponsible dog owner meets sociopathic, trigger happy farmer. Perfect storm. A complete failure from both sides.
The death of the dog aside, walking untrained dogs near lambing sheep aside. The farmer is extremely lucky he didn’t accidently miss and hit the Ower, who from the sounds of things was inches away trying to shield the animal. That would’ve been a very idiotic way to earn an attempted murder charge that he would’ve throughly deserved. Idiots with guns don’t deserve them, and there Is no absolutely no justification to point them armed and at close proximity to another human being unless you intend to kill. I sincerely hope whomever is responsible for maintaining firearms licences in that area has done their job and given this farmer a bollocking he won’t forget, maybe even voiding his licence and forcing him to reapply.
The smart, grown-up thing would’ve been to explain to the walker that together, we need to get this dog out of this field, and between the three grown adults present, drag the dog out. Once out and away , give a lecture and a warning.
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Honestly the most troubling thing about this is that he fired a weapon so close to other humans. Even if he was protecting his property, he ought not to have the right to endanger people to do it.
Please don’t walk your dog near sheep during lambing season!!!!!!!
I grew up in the countryside and this was something my dad make me aware of from a young age while walking our dogs. That the farmer has the right to shoot your dog if it’s worrying the sheep etc.
You just don’t let dogs off lead anywhere near livestock, EVER, it’s a no brainer. Sadly there’s a lot more brainless dog owners in the world these days who get them because they look cool but don’t train them at all.
what kind of moron walks a dog in a field of lambs and pregnant ewes? sorry for the dog, but so many people should not be dog owners.
If the dog was secured on lead then the farmer had no grounds to shoot it.
The law is very clear about when a dog can be shot i.e. it must be actively worrying livestock or about to.
A dog that has attacked livestock but is now back on a lead cannot be legally shot. The farmer’s recourse at that point is civil action for damages.
Unfortunately, the story is behind a paywall so it’s not clear how the farmer came to the conclusion that the dog was “about to” slip its lead. That would be the crucial point. The trouble is that this kind of thing doesn’t go before a jury and any local magistrate is likely to be deeply involved in the local landowning/farming community.
This is entirely on the owner
Who no doubt feels the same level of entitlement as many in these comments and will never understand that
I see nothing wrong. Even as a dog lover, that farmer had every right to protect his sheep from a natural predator, the same way he would a fox or wolf.
My only question is- where was the husky’s owner this whole time?
Farmers are often gagging for the smallest opportunity to shoot peoples dogs. The widespread stories of threatening and verbally aggressive language time and time again prove that next to none of them should be allowed guns.
Mine used to hang out in the garage with me all the time, I had a barrier across the open garage door, occasionally I’d move the barrier and she wouldn’t even blink. But every now and then, she see it, watch me, then fucking bolt! Luckily I lived on a quiet street but a busy one wasn’t that far away! I’d be religious about the barrier for the next year or so, thinking she’d outgrown doing.. but then she’d fucking do it again!
RIP Lola!
As to why the owner would take a dog onto someone land and then allow the dog to bother the sheep clearly shows how irresponsible the dog owner is
I have a dog with a high prey drive and, having spent loads of time and money training her, I have just had to give up. I take her on lots of walks on a lead and have felt an absolute failure for not being able to train the high prey drive out of her. I am so happy to hear that many others have given up, too! I am sick of having to explain to other dog owners that training did not work and I have to keep her on the lead!
42 comments
>#Farmer who shot sheep-worrying husky walks free from court
>Campbell Thomas
>Monday March 06 2023, 12.01am GMT, The Times
>A farmer who killed a husky that was worrying sheep while on its lead has been cleared of endangering the dog owner’s life.
>Kenneth Bone, 64, who has worked on the land for 46 years, used a shotgun at point blank range to kill the dog which was in a field of lambs and pregnant ewes. The pet was inches from Sean Campbell, 25, the dog walker.
>Bone, from the Isle of Arran, walked free after a sheriff said he had no case to answer. He said:
>“It was a split-second decision but I had to shoot because the dog’s collar was about to come off and I knew it would go straight to the sheep.
>“It has been a huge strain on me but also my family to have this hanging over us for four years. I am relieved but upset it took all this time to prove my innocence.
>“It’s cost me a lot but farmers have to protect their livestock. I would do the same again if I had to.”
>Constable Colin Haddow told Kilmarnock sheriff court that he went to Glenkiln Farm near Lamlash to see Bone after the incident in April 2019.
>The officer, who has an agricultural background, said: “I’ve kept huskies for 20 years and I was aware it was a rehomed dog. They have a horrendous prey drive and their recall is very minimal if they’re off the lead.
>“It is hard going because they can smell horses, sheep and cows before you can. Then [their] prey drive takes over. You have to be in control of them at all times.”
>Campbell had been with his partner, who owned the husky called Luca, two young children and a lurcher.
>The husky ran ahead into the field. Pregnant ewes and lambs were there and PC Haddow said dogs could cause them significant injury: “It can be terrible, they rip their throats and the ewes can abort the lambs. It is horrible.”
>Campbell caught the husky, described as “larger than a collie”, and had it back on its lead but it was trying to slip its collar to get at the sheep, which had huddled together.
>Despite warning signs for dog walkers around the farm perimeter, the incident had been the fourth sheep worrying case in six months, the court heard. Several ewes had miscarried.
>Campbell, of Greenock, Renfrewshire, said he had seen Bone “snap shut” the shotgun as he approached and was still traumatised by being “fired upon”.
>He said: “The farmer was moving from side to side trying to get a clear shot at the dog. It was like he was on a power trip. It was like, you’re on my land and I can do what I like.”
> John Scullion KC, for Bone, said: “He stepped between you and the dog and shot it because you refused to give him the lead.”
>Sheriff Colin Bissett upheld a submission of no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.
Bone was cleared of culpably and recklessly discharging a shotgun and killing the dog, which was in “close proximity” to Campbell, exposing him to risk of death or injury and placing him in “fear, alarm and distress”.
>Bone is described at Companies House as a director of Arran Development Trust and the Arran Trust.
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Its sad but as someone who grew up in the country its common knowledge (or should be) that farmers have that right to protect their animals.
The guy should not have been walking a dog like that near livestock. People get huskies as status symbols without any research or care if theyd be a suitable pet (I now live in Spain and see many huskies for some reason). Its so unfair on the dogs.
This is hands down on the owner. I love dogs, farmers are great too, but you have no business managing a domesticated predator if you can’t completely control it the moment it becomes necessary.
As a husky owner, I personally wouldn’t take my dog in a field with livestock full stop.
Mine is never off lead. Normally always in a harness, the only way mine can get out is if he is trying to back out of it. Even then it’s pretty obvious and easy to stop him.
While it is pretty obvious to me at least to not go near sheep during this time of year, and to generally avoid farmers, It does sound a little suspicious that the farmer wanted the man to give the lead over to him, I wouldn’t be surprised if the farmer shot the dog out of frustration in general.
At the same time my heart goes out to the family with the dog, and the actual dogs terrified last moments.
Im really confused. The dog was on the lead when shot, the farmer shot the dog because it had already worried the sheep? Plus the farmer wanted the owner to pass the dog lead over to what? Execute the dog? It sounds to me the farmer had already decided he was going to kill the dog from it being off lead and despite the owner beginning to regain control of the situation the farmer chose to shoot a dog dead at point blank range while it was next to its owner, another adult and a child?
I hope the owner appeals this because it seems to be either there’s a lot more to the story or the farmer was indeed on a power trip.
For those who don’t want to read :
Farmer shot the dog while it was still on the lead (totally legal) regardless if the animal is out of control or under control he was well within his right to shoot the dog if it was causing distress to ANY animals he has on his farm. (in this case the dog was on the lead, it was pinned on its back to the floor by the owner, while the farmer approached the dog got up, and as a result was shot)
He was arrested for potentially endangering the owner of the dog by shooting the dog in proximity to the owner. It was deemed the owner of the dog was not in danger thus he was freed.
‘ Protection of livestock act 1953 protects the farmer since the dog was in proximity of his livestock so it becomes completely legal for him to shoot the dog regardless if it was on a lead or not. (Has to be causing stress to animals) given the owner was forcfully pinning his own dog on its back tells me the owner could not really control this dog even while on a lead
As someone who lives in the county and has had sheep, admittedly per sheep worried by dogs, fatally do in one case,I can understand the farmer exercising his right to protect his sheep. That said, it looks like he had made up his mind to shoot the dog come what may, so it seemed a case of clear intent imo and therefore wrong given the dog was,at the time, on the lead. I suspect there is more to this story than meets the eye. The farmer may well have been trying to keep the public off his land by setting an example snd gaining publicity. Farmers need all the public support they can get but sadly there are unpleasant individuals in all walks of life and that includes the farming community.
If your dog can’t behave around sheep, don’t take it anywhere near them lead or not.
> walks free from court
you mean “was found not guilty”
Hmmm I have nothing against farmers protecting livestock but this one sounds like a he has a screw lose to be honest
My partner used to have a husky, we loved this dog and trained it the best we could and tried to burn its energy off but nothing could ever tire this dog out. Once we took it to a large deer park, it was on a lead and harness and managed to get out of the harness when it pulled too hard. We spent hours trying to get her back and had to call the rangers for help, they told us they’d help and if the dog brought any harm to any of the deers, we’d have to pay for their veterinary care.
It was a horrible situation, we did thankfully get her back and never got a call about any injuries to the deer, but that incident made me see first hand that these dogs are a danger to wild animals so I can see why the farmer did what he did. I wish the owner was able to pick the husky up and walk away before it slipped its collar again, but I guess we’ll never know if he tried to do that.
Husky’s, like staffis, are very popular amongst people who shouldn’t even have a goldfish as a pet. They’re very hard dogs to keep, needing a lot of training and exercise. They’re also very stubborn dogs, so if he was about to escape from his lead, no way would the dog come back.
‘The dog straining at the lead to get to the sheep’ would already be worrying the sheep enough to cause harm, abortions, death from stress etc.
The dogs owner should have been the one taken to court.
I just don’t understand why people rescue these big dogs.
So often they know nothing at all about their background – and so often because they are rescued as adults, they struggle to train them properly (or – the owners fail to train them properly).
And again, a family with two young children.
Just…. Why?
Seems to me like all you’re doing is bringing a dangerous and unpredictable animal into your life.
I think the farmer was justified – he thought the collar would break, and his ewes were pregnant. If you can’t walk your dog past animals without it losing it’s shit, you need to keep it away from animals.
Reading that, I’m not buying the farmer just wasn’t pissed and wanted to kill the animal.
The lead is irrelevant here. Sheep can easily miscarry through fear and the presence of a dog trying to get at them is enough. It should never have been in the field, especially since the farm had signs up warning people of this.
ITT: a lot of dog owners who are worried about their animals being rightly shot by farmers.
I sometimes take my friend’s siberian huskey for a walk and I love the dog to bits but would I ever walk him around livestock? Definitely not! Insane prey drive and strength, he’s almost slipped his harness just trying to chase birds and squirrels.
I’m with the farmer here. As much as I love my dog and he’s a tiny one, you have be very careful around other animals. I want to know exactly what the owner was thinking taking s husky of all breeds around a farm full of animals…
Shooting the dog isn’t the illegal thing, please stop arguing about that! He was in court for endangering the owners, which the farmer was found not guilty of. That’s it’s.
Whether you like it or not it is perfectly legal for the farmer to protect his livestock on his property. That was never in question here.
Which was the correct decision.
It’s well known that dogs worrying sheep and can be shot. The fact it was caught and put back on a lead is no excuse and the farmer was entitled to take action based on his honestly held belief.
For those who vehemently disagree, that’s you opinion and in this case, you are wrong. the court acquitted the farmer as he acted appropriately.
Impossible to know on this tbh. I’ve known many people mismanage their dogs, and many farmers be more restrained than required.
Equally though, I’ve known a fair few farmers misuse the protection they have to use guns, I’ve seen them point them at people, and even without dogs around, and I’ve never known one lose a shotgun cert.
EDIT: What I would say, with reasonable experience of them, is that you generally couldn’t be very confident of this shot being safe! Shotgun at distance within a metre of a person ain’t reasonable.
Context: a worried sheep or flock will likely go on a massive stampede and often lose their lambs due miscarriage.
They are very sensitive creatures and the actual livelihood of the farmer.
Poor dog, but please bear in mind that a dog is a predator and needs to be under control.
The sheep would have been lambing or with very young lambs during the time this happened. I love dogs, but an excited husky in a field of lambs and recovering ewes? Nope.
So, a dog-walker takes a dog that they ADMIT has an uncontrollable prey drive towards a field of sheep, struggles to recover the dog back onto the lead, and then the dog is trying to escape its collar…
Farmers are permitted to destroy any animal worrying their livestock. This is common knowledge. The owner had no business taking such a dog anywhere near a field of livestock in the first place, and a dog that size and nature should not just be leashed to a collar, but a strong harness. It’s a tragic and upsetting case and I can’t imagine how the owner feels, but it does sound like blame rests squarely on the owner for this.
Farms are not safe to walk on with or without dogs for the public in some cases. A farmers field is not as safe as a public park. If you do hike or dog walk near a farm make sure to talk to the farmer if you can (if the farmer seems aggressive defo stay away) read the warnings they put up.
Not only for dog walkers attacked by cattle when they’re with their young every year (or bulls when they’re in breeding) or dogs shot for chasing sheep.
There’s also dangers with equipment and on some farms lots of pesticides used that are not great for you or your dog.
When farmers graze cattle on common land they have to apply and usually send out less aggressive cattle in a good season where they don’t have young. Even then I wouldn’t try to pet or feed them for photos
Be sensible. If the livestock is pregnant or with their young stay away from the field. If the field is empty, check for bulls. A herd of nervous or protective cattle can panic and stampede. If the farmer has seeded the field or sprayed pesticides stay away. Winter can be safer than spring or summer, especially after a harvest. Don’t shake a bucket or bag with horses in a field they can run at you or get bitey
I’m a MASSIVE dog lover and this is tragic for all involved.
It’s really simple. Keep your dogs away from livestock at all costs. If this absolutely isn’t possible, then on a short lead, distract them with food, ball etc. and get past as quickly as possible.
Sheep are particularly susceptible to stress. Think woolly lemmings.
Regardless of how “good” your dog is. Just avoid as much as possible. Safest for everyone involved.
Irresponsible dog owner meets sociopathic, trigger happy farmer. Perfect storm. A complete failure from both sides.
The death of the dog aside, walking untrained dogs near lambing sheep aside. The farmer is extremely lucky he didn’t accidently miss and hit the Ower, who from the sounds of things was inches away trying to shield the animal. That would’ve been a very idiotic way to earn an attempted murder charge that he would’ve throughly deserved. Idiots with guns don’t deserve them, and there Is no absolutely no justification to point them armed and at close proximity to another human being unless you intend to kill. I sincerely hope whomever is responsible for maintaining firearms licences in that area has done their job and given this farmer a bollocking he won’t forget, maybe even voiding his licence and forcing him to reapply.
The smart, grown-up thing would’ve been to explain to the walker that together, we need to get this dog out of this field, and between the three grown adults present, drag the dog out. Once out and away , give a lecture and a warning.
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Honestly the most troubling thing about this is that he fired a weapon so close to other humans. Even if he was protecting his property, he ought not to have the right to endanger people to do it.
Please don’t walk your dog near sheep during lambing season!!!!!!!
I grew up in the countryside and this was something my dad make me aware of from a young age while walking our dogs. That the farmer has the right to shoot your dog if it’s worrying the sheep etc.
You just don’t let dogs off lead anywhere near livestock, EVER, it’s a no brainer. Sadly there’s a lot more brainless dog owners in the world these days who get them because they look cool but don’t train them at all.
what kind of moron walks a dog in a field of lambs and pregnant ewes? sorry for the dog, but so many people should not be dog owners.
If the dog was secured on lead then the farmer had no grounds to shoot it.
The law is very clear about when a dog can be shot i.e. it must be actively worrying livestock or about to.
A dog that has attacked livestock but is now back on a lead cannot be legally shot. The farmer’s recourse at that point is civil action for damages.
Unfortunately, the story is behind a paywall so it’s not clear how the farmer came to the conclusion that the dog was “about to” slip its lead. That would be the crucial point. The trouble is that this kind of thing doesn’t go before a jury and any local magistrate is likely to be deeply involved in the local landowning/farming community.
This is entirely on the owner
Who no doubt feels the same level of entitlement as many in these comments and will never understand that
I see nothing wrong. Even as a dog lover, that farmer had every right to protect his sheep from a natural predator, the same way he would a fox or wolf.
My only question is- where was the husky’s owner this whole time?
Farmers are often gagging for the smallest opportunity to shoot peoples dogs. The widespread stories of threatening and verbally aggressive language time and time again prove that next to none of them should be allowed guns.
Mine used to hang out in the garage with me all the time, I had a barrier across the open garage door, occasionally I’d move the barrier and she wouldn’t even blink. But every now and then, she see it, watch me, then fucking bolt! Luckily I lived on a quiet street but a busy one wasn’t that far away! I’d be religious about the barrier for the next year or so, thinking she’d outgrown doing.. but then she’d fucking do it again!
RIP Lola!
As to why the owner would take a dog onto someone land and then allow the dog to bother the sheep clearly shows how irresponsible the dog owner is
I have a dog with a high prey drive and, having spent loads of time and money training her, I have just had to give up. I take her on lots of walks on a lead and have felt an absolute failure for not being able to train the high prey drive out of her. I am so happy to hear that many others have given up, too! I am sick of having to explain to other dog owners that training did not work and I have to keep her on the lead!