am i being unreasonable!!!!!!!!!

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hilltop

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last week two golden labs were running around my fields a mother and a young dog i catch them and put in stable and ring owner who lives about a mile away she collects and says they were left here garden so must of jumped out
the next day i look out they are in my yard again but are attacking one of my pet turkeys i go out chase them off her and ring owner in the meantime they have run off into my feild where horses are barking and my horse has double barrelled youngster across the feild owner turns up and is angry and takes pup to vets and thinks this should be my responsibility to pay for and i in turn am upset about my turkey which we have had to put out of its pain which in her response says its only a turkey i then have lost my temper and have said that she should keep her dogs under control and shouldnt be bothering my livestock and in no uncertain terms would i pay for her dogs vet bill two cracked ribs i feel sorry for the dog but irresponsible owners should take responsibilty its not my fault they are getting out none of my animals get out grrrrr am i wrong
 
I assume I am right in thinking this is your land?

If that is the case, no I would not pay a vets bill for her dog, in fact if it was her dog that caused your turkey to be PTS, I would be asking her for money.

Incidentally, our yard is right next to a sheep farm. The sheep farmer said that if any dogs were seen near his lambing pens they'd be shot... And he every right to do so!! His land, his rules. Your land, your rules!

You're not unreasonable and have every right to tell her to get her dogs off your land and away from your livestock!!
 
No you're not!
It's your land. I can't believe she wasn't mortified that her runaway dog attacked your pet so badly it was put down. Makes no difference if it were turkey, sheep or pony IMO.
Hopefully the owner of the dog has learnt a lesson. I'd definately not be paying any vet fees, if anything they are lucky the pup wasn't caught worrying sheep, instead of your turkeys and horses.
If it appears again keep hold and report to police or dog warden.
RIP turkey :(
 
No your not being un reasonable, and you should not be liable.


If your horse and turkey jumped into her garden, and your horse hurt the dogs - then sure, thenn youd be liable for the damages.


I've had a famer threaten to shoot a dog of mine in the past, who was barking through a fence at a cow ( dog with me on a lane, cow in its feild behind the fence). I was advised that if my dog had went into his feild, he would ahve had every right to shoot it. And im sure, if the dog had jumped into the feild, and the cow kicked it - the dog would have either got shot or have a lucky escape - certainly not me demanding money from the farmer!!
 
Report to dog warden, and tell her on this ocassion you wont seek compensation for the turkey. Hpwever tell her that the next time the dogs enter your property they will be shot.
 
I had a similar situation a few years ago, a german shepherd came onto our land, the owner had no control whatsoever and he attacked one of our geese, injuring but not killing her, we took to vet as she needed anti bs. Owner refused to see that it was in anyway his fault and refused to pay vets bill, despite a visit from the local PCSO.

Anyhoos he reckoned without my OH who took him to small claims court, needless to say, he lost and had to cough up more than he would have done had he simply paid the bill.

So, no it is not your responsibility to pay any bill she may present to you, HER dogs were out of control on YOUR land, she is lucky that you have not presented her with a bill for the loss of your pet turkey. Turkeys are livestock and I would be reminding her that you would be within your rights to shoot any dog chasing your livestock, am not suggesting you do actually shoot the dogs, but it would be a reminder to her that she is the one in the wrong here.
 
Missmac said:
No i dont think you are.
If i was the dog owner i would be mortified.
Click to expand...

Me too.

Tell her, clearly and calmly, that it was her lack of control of her dogs that caused - (a) one of your animals to get killed and (b) her dog to get kicked. Tell her you are disgusted at her attitude and if her dogs stray again, they will be shot, end of story. Shame you can't shoot her instead really!
 
the land is ours and is fenced all around the dogs came under the electric gates all chickens cocks duck and turkey free range running everywhere so am worried if they come back have put mesh over iron gate to stop them coming in again gutted about sage the turkey who was raised with onion and stuffing the other two for christmas but when they follow u and wander around under the horses etc so it was off to sainsburys for an oven ready have buried sage in the orchard i hope i never see the woman again she was so rude
 
Definitely not unreasonable as they were on your land and out of control. She is lucky that you haven't taken action against the dogs. Two dogs were shot near here recently because they had strayed onto a farmers land and were attacking sheep. Very sad for the dogs but the owners just weren't controlling them.
 
You are totally in the right, if it happens again (and maybe tell her this if she carries on making a fuss) you will take them into the local pound/ police station/ rspca place as strays - they she'll have to explain how they escaped and pay to collect them.
 
I'd tell her in no uncertain terms that you wont be paying for anything and if her dogs stray on to your land they can be seized and detained

See here (maybe print this off and present to her if she knocks on your door)

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/1-2/28

The horses (not to mention the poor turkey) are covered as livestock and your land as agricultural according to this as its grazing land

This is a good 'laymans' terms article

-------------------------------

UK Law -Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953

The law is designed to punish the owner of any dog found worrying livestock on agricultural land.

For this piece of legislation to be used, the dog must be found attacking or chasing livestock or at large, not on a lead or under control, in a field or enclosure containing livestock. An offence is punishable by a fine on the owner or keeper of the dog of up to £1,000.

The Animals Act 1971 can also be used in cases where a dog is caught worrying livestock. It states anyone who is the keeper of a dog that is caught damaging by killing or injuring livestock is liable for the damage. This means the farmer can sue the dog owner for compensation.

In certain circumstances, a farmer or landowner has the right to shoot a dog found attacking or worrying his or her livestock, for example to act for the protection of any livestock if, and only if, either the dog is worrying or about to worry the livestock and there are no other reasonable means of ending or preventing the worrying; or the dog has been worrying livestock, has not left the vicinity and is not under the control of any person and there are no practicable means of ascertaining to who it belongs.
 
Phone the police and pursue her under the dangerous dog act and for worrying your livestock. She is having a laugh if she thinks you are in any way responsible!
 
Definetly not over-reatcing..... if it were my dog i would be mortified! For them to escape once is bad enough but for it to happen twice is careless!
 
So sorry to read about your horrible experience. Why do people in the wrong get so angry, it really does not help, and you are not responsible for her dogs or their actions. She should pay for your turkey not the other way round.

We have a public foot paths running on two sides of our land, and so many people just do not think and let their animals run free, we have lost several pet geese thanks to dogs chasing into the field and attacking them.

My neighbour a sheep farmer, will and has shot dogs who run his sheep.

I still find dogs running free and no owner in sight, so catch them just to stop any of our animals being hurt. I then give them to dog warden to sort!
 
Not unreasonable at all.The owner of those dogs is!

I hope you dont have any sheep farmers near ye or those dogs are going to have a short life as they will be shot on sight this time of year as lambing is on. The owner would also be in for some shock when they the bill for worrying sheep!They could do hundreds worth of damage quickly in among a sheep flock.

You are well within your rights to claim compensation for you killed and damaged livestock. You also would have been within your rights to shoot both dogs while they were on your land worrying them. Its in the control of dogs act.

Phone the dog warden and get them to have a chat with her about her responsibilities.
I would also bill her for the turkey and chase her through the small claims court if she continues to let them roam....a bill might make her take it more seriously.

Be aware though even with a kick those dogs may return if they are not being properly restrained.....the chasing instinct is pretty high once they get a liking for it.

I put down 4 dogs in the last week for chasing sheep...they were sweet lovely collie cross dogs belonging to an old lady who let them wander loose around her house :( The farmer followed them home after the second time they came to "play" with his sheep.

In their first session they had killed 6 in lamb ewes by running them into a drain where they drown,two more were so badly mauled they had to be put down and they chased almost 40 pregnant sheep. So far 10 of those have aborted the lambs they were carrying and 5 others who lambed down have had weak lambs....worrying livestock is a serious thing for a dog to do. It carries a death sentence from farmers for a reason.

She needs to get her act together before those dogs end up dead thanks to her irresponsibility.
 
No you are not being unreasonable at all, unlike the dog owner.:mad:

Sorry to say your post was though, could hardly understand it! Sorry.
 
I believe UK law states that the landowner must fence his livestock appropriately to keep dogs out .. however .. it sounds like you have taken all reasonable precautions in fencing your animals. The law also states that the owner of livestock, on their own land, and within reasonably fenced areas is within their rights to shoot dogs who worry or kill their livestock. In essence the law is a bit grey on keeping the dogs out, but so is the owner in keeping their dogs under control. No way should you offer to pay anything to the dog owner but you may cite to her that you have the law behind you should these dogs come worrying your stock again and that you are well within your rights to shoot her dogs should they return.
 
Missmac said:
No i dont think you are.
If i was the dog owner i would be mortified.
Click to expand...

My dog found a pet duck in the garden, she didn't touch it but it died of fright (didn't know ducks would do that). We told the owners right away and offered to pay for a new duck or whatever. They said it was ok and they should have taken better care of their duck (I had actually saved one of their ducks from a different dog!)

I was mortified, even though Annie hadn't actually done anything. She hadn't chased it and hadn't bitten it. Just wandered over. Poor duck.

And poor turkey :( how dare she say "Just a turkey" I was upset when my brothers garden snail died! You are not being unreasonable in the slightest. Dog owner was in the wrong and should be paying for your turkey!!
 
Landowners have no responsibility to fence dogs out, only to keep their own stock from straying. The woman with the dogs has a responsibility to keep her damn dogs at home! They are worrying livestock and she should be made to undersand the danger she is allowing them to be at, by allowing them to roam in the manner they are. I would be sending her a strongly worded letter, including a bill for the turkey and any other damage.
 
your land your animals.
Her dogs shouldn't have been on your land.
But when they start worrying livestock. Whether it be cattle etc or horses. That is just wrong!

No you shouldn't pay for her vets bill.
Poor pug but hopefully it will learn
its lesson and owner will be don't secure on their own land!
 
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