Honestly, can you believe it?

[palo1]

So my father in law is very unwell and we are trying to deal with his stock; some cattle and ewes and lambs (in lamb ewes and older 'ready for market' lambs). We have got some of them at grass keep near our village. This is a really rural village surrounded on all sides and for miles by farmland, farmers, sheep, cattle, horses etc. Farmers have signs up asking people not to put their dogs on the lead but to ensure that they keep dogs under control. Everyone is pretty reasonable, laid back, tolerant and not looking for trouble. We all seem to get on really. It's nice. Today we found the culprit of some pretty grim sheep worrying; a couple of ewes have to be destroyed, with their lambs in utero and a couple of the lambs will need to be kept on rather than sold just now. The culprit??? One of the local firemen's dogs!! It's hard to understand how someone so involved in the community could be so unaware of either what his dog is up to or how serious the problem is. I can't quite grasp it myself...

Everyone here is usually so blooming good and careful about other people's stock, about horse riders, about tolerating stock and agricultural traffic on the roads. I am just boggled by this frankly.

 

[Ratface]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your lovely animals. Heartbreak, rage and frustration in (?) equal measures.
Anna Sewell had it about right in "Black Beauty." Ginger, the elegant chestnut carriage horse, having fallen on hard times, met Black Beauty again. When he enquired how she had become such an equine wreck, she replied "Ignorance. Sheer ignorance".
Perhaps a slot on the local TV news programme and/or local paper front page, denouncing the two perpetrators (dog/human) without naming them, would raise the subject in general in the area, and in dog-training classes everywhere.
Worth a try?

 

[palo1]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your lovely animals. Heartbreak, rage and frustration in (?) equal measures.
Anna Sewell had it about right in "Black Beauty." Ginger, the elegant chestnut carriage horse, having fallen on hard times, met Black Beauty again. When he enquired how she had become such an equine wreck, she replied "Ignorance. Sheer ignorance".
Perhaps a slot on the local TV news programme and/or local paper front page, denouncing the two perpetrators (dog/human) without naming them, would raise the subject in general in the area, and in dog-training classes everywhere.
Worth a try?

Oh gosh, I don't think I could do that tbh!! The fireman has been spoken to by several locals and now my brother in law. It is all perfectly civil and the fireman has offered to pay for the vet etc and is really sorry. I am just boggled that he hasn't been a bit more on the case about his dog's whereabouts and activities. If FIL was well, the dog may well have been shot and I think that would be commonly known and understood. Poor ewes and lambs.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Was the dog caught in the act? I think I would publicise it, the guy needs public humiliation. How could he not know? Was his dog allowed to roam free?

 

[palo1]

Was the dog caught in the act? I think I would publicise it, the guy needs public humiliation. How could he not know? Was his dog allowed to roam free?

Yes, dog has been caught in the act twice now; local folk in the village have contacted us to tell us whose dog etc. It's a really tight community so that in itself is quite a big deal. I don't want to publicly shame the guy - he too contributes to life here, we need his skills and goodwill too but somehow he has just totally failed on this front. It just surprises me that someone who works in the countryside, often in situations with stock, hasn't got a better idea of dog control. We don't want to cause trouble - I bet he feels pretty stupid and has completely accepted liability for vets bills/destruction etc so I am guessing he feels awful and that will be enough to make sure he never does it again.

I know one of our neighbour's dogs (a rescued boxer) has killed some lambs belonging to her mum - I sort of assumed it might be that dog actually. I hope that one is kept under control now too - people in the village will discuss it I know.

 

[Moobli]

So many people can’t or won’t believe their lovely family pet would ever chase or injure livestock. I’m glad you found the culprit and he’s offered to pay for the losses. However it might be prudent for someone (you, FIL, other farmer) to let him know he is risking, not only the life of the sheep, but that of his dog by allowing it to happen.

 

[palo1]

So many people can’t or won’t believe their lovely family pet would ever chase or injure livestock. I’m glad you found the culprit and he’s offered to pay for the losses. However it might be prudent for someone (you, FIL, other farmer) to let him know he is risking, not only the life of the sheep, but that of his dog by allowing it to happen.

Yes, he knows that now. I know too that so many people think their dog is too small/playful/gentle/well trained/slow etc etc to chase stock but they never are, are they? My OH would be absolutely furious if he was put in a position where he had to shoot someone's pet tbh. Although it is a last resort it's not something that anyone can feel good about. I very much hope it won't ever come to that for us. The fireman must feel a right idiot too - he knows that as a fireman/person he is seen as a particularly responsible sort of person and he has let that slip a bit. I am very glad it has not been worse for the sheep though the in-lamb ewes are a very distressing issue, regardless of their worth financially. I don't mean it is any better to harass the young sale lambs but the loss of lambs and the vulnerability and stress reaction of the pregnant ewes is really upsetting to think about. Hope it is over now.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Once is careless, twice is taking the mick. I know Bear is a chaser, hence he is not allowed free run near the sheep field, I just couldn’t imagine it happening twice!

 

[palo1]

Once is careless, twice is taking the mick. I know Bear is a chaser, hence he is not allowed free run near the sheep field, I just couldn’t imagine it happening twice!

Yes. I had a dog that really couldn't be trusted once no matter how hard I tried to train him to be steady. Thankfully the last few dogs have been trainable!! BUT I never, never, never let the dogs out on their own - I always know where they are and what they are doing. My dogs are too important to me to be remotely careless about them! I am not sure exactly why this dog was out on it's own... I agree that twice is neglectful or stupid but there won't be a third time.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Yes, dog has been caught in the act twice now; local folk in the village have contacted us to tell us whose dog etc.

By "caught in the act", I imaging you mean "was seen and recognised". If anybody caught and siezed a dog in the act of sheep worrying, I hope that they would take it straight down to the police, and not return it to the owner.

 

[Clodagh]

So am I right in thinking that this has happened multiple times and he is still letting it free range? He just pays up when it’s had a good day and then let’s it happen again?

 

[palo1]

By "caught in the act", I imaging you mean "was seen and recognised". If anybody caught and siezed a dog in the act of sheep worrying, I hope that they would take it straight down to the police, and not return it to the owner.

Yes, seen, recognised and witnesses on the phone to tell us! We missed the first call about incident no 1 but via the local grapevine we were informed pretty quickly.

 

[palo1]

So am I right in thinking that this has happened multiple times and he is still letting it free range? He just pays up when it’s had a good day and then let’s it happen again?

As far as we are aware this has happened twice (to the sheep in our care). Both times in the last fortnight but those are just the witnessed issues. I don't know how many times the dog has attacked any other sheep or whether those we have been caring for have been troubled but not killed or injured on other occasions. The two incidents that we are aware of were rapidly relayed to us by witnesses. We haven't actually asked if they are aware of other incidents and I haven't spoken to the dog's owner so I don't actually know why his dog has been out, what he has been aware of etc. My brother in law has dealt with the dog owner so far. I am as certain as I can be, on the information I have, that it won't happen again though!! Owner knows that incident no 3 WILL be met with a bullet or trip to the cop shop!!