Cows killed another poor dog walker

[Pippetypoppity]

I’ve just seen on the BBC news that a lady has been killed in a field by cows. She was walking her chihuahua. This is absolutely tragic. She possibly ran with dog and was chased. That would be my guess as the same happened to me on our farm when I was very young. Your instinct is to save your dog and run. I remember I had a sheep dog puppy in my arms and I’d gone into the field to play. I was about 6 I think. The cows noticed the puppy from quite a distance away and the whole herd started moving in. Luckily I was close enough to the gate to get out, but it was terrifying. I remember my father on the yard yelling ‘Drop the puppy’ at the top of his lungs. I didn’t but I’d have been a gonner if I was another 50 yards in. I just want to tell everyone what my father said to me that day. It’s stuck in my mind ever since and it’s important anyone who dog walks in the country knows it too

1. If you see cows with calves leave the field by the nearest exit immediately. Cows often charge to protect their young
2. If you see cows without calves and they start moving quickly towards you they are being inquisitive. If you have a dog with you the cows will want to know if it is a threat. They see dogs instinctively as predators. If you cannot get to a gate and they are approaching- startle them by shouting jumping, waving your arms and making yourself appear as loud, big and threatening as possible. This will frighten them and make them stop or bypass you.
3. If they persevere it will be because they want to force your dog out of the field. Let the dog go! This is critical. Your dog can run faster than cows and much much faster than you. The cows will then focus on the dog and you can get away.
4. Never ever pick up the dog if cows are refusing to back off. This is the hardest thing in the world to do as all your instincts will compel you to try and protect it. It stands a better chance running and dodging them however than it does in your arms. You will then avoid becoming a target yourself and being trampled.
5. When cows move quickly in a large group the ones at the front get pushed by the ones at the back even if they themselves try to slow down. They will not be trying to mow you down but the sheer force from behind might mean they do. For this reason if cows approach in a group and your initial efforts to threaten and scare them failed, make that momentum go in a different direction ie after your dog.

I am so so dreadfully sorry to hear that this has happened again. The lady in question was inevitably a devoted extremely responsible and loving pet owner. She must have been to have been giving her chihuahua a country walk. I expect for this very reason she picked her dog up when she saw the cows getting near. Poor poor lady.

I stayed in a YHA in Surrey a couple of years ago, the only way to get back to accommodation after a day’s walking was straight across a huge field of cows with their young. I had to wait on the bank for aaaagggeees waiting for the herd to move up to the other end of the field so I could go across, but wait I did. When I got back the warden said most people don’t bother to wait because ‘they’re only cows’ and he was surprised there’d not been a fatality. I think lots of people think it’s only bulls you have to be wary of.

Interesting post. I have always been scared of cows right from camping on a farm as a child. I was followed by a herd of cows with my tiny baby in my arms at Dyreham park. They then lined the wall of the outdoor cafe I escaped into and stared at me til they got bored and wandered off again. It was scary. Especially now in retrospect I know that they were wondering if she was a dog. I was also cornered by a herd of cows as a ten year old child and escaped through a hedge. I wasn’t with adults, I was with another child on a (local) walk and we were terrified.

No, it should give you the ability to respect the fact that it’s farmland and there may be cows there.

Perhaps farmers could put agreed warning signs on the entrances to fields where they have cows, that also have a public right of way through them.

TBF we had a farmer open up a permissive path alongside a river, beautiful walk but within 2 years it was closed to the public again, dog attacks on sheep, huge amounts of litter, dog shit, gates left open, cars parked across gateways.

It wasn't just a few idiots either, far too much damage etc for that.

Bath? I was always amazed at how chilled out the cows seemed in Smallcombe and the water meadows. Perhaps they are so used to people they just don't bother anymore?

I think some people anthropomorphize their dogs so much that they forget they are animals and have a strong preservation instinct - and are a lot faster and more agile than they are. Similar with people who go into the sea/ a river to rescue a dog, owner drowns and Fido then comes trotting round the corner wondering what all the fuss is about

I spend a lot of time on Dartmoor, and the free roaming cows there do generally seem mellower than cows enclosed in fields, in my experience. Because they're more used to walkers? Because they can choose where they want to go for shelter and protection? Because they're less stressed perhaps? I know that stocking numbers on farms have increased a lot over recent decades- perhaps that's got something to do with it.

Nope. It’s not the responsibility of farmers. At all.

I was chased as a child too, didn't have a dog with me but they were young heifers. Now I always walk along the fence, I find the cows won't run at the fence and if they did I could hop over. I am very wary of walking through a field of cows although older cows tend to be calm and sensible (mostly) and easily frightened away.

This is scary. I always assumed if it was a public footpath, it would be safe. If private land, it’s different of course.

People underestimate cows because generally they're so placid. And yes, they're a bit dim. But they're huge, and they're flighty. I did think that everyone who lived in the countryside was aware of this, but I guess not, so posts like this are helpful.

My Dad brings up cattle from weaning age till 18 months or so. When he had a German Shepherd dog the cattle were always obsessed with him. The dog wanted to be with Dad, but he was scared of the cows - being with Dad outweighed the big, scary beasts, though. They always came right up to sniff him and followed him around (they were not scared at all, just curious). They had known him from when they were little babies .

Son of a farmer, grew up on one, still have an interest. Walkers, irrespective of rights of way, for your safety stay out of fields with livestock in.

I was badly injured by a cow in the milking parlour as a kid, and I knew roughly what I was doing.

Farms are full of unpredictable dangers, its safe enough and lovely to walk along the edges of crop fields and along fenced off footpaths, but walkers should take heed and stay away from livestock.

Toxicology reports showed Ms Morris had "social level" alcohol in her system alongside her prescribed medication, but Dr Biggs said any impact on her would have been "mild".

I don't think cows 'wonder'. I'm not being sarcastic but that is part of the issue here. They operate on instinct, not rational thought. Perhaps footpaths should be fenced on both sides in fields where they are used for cows.

Short of teaching the cows to read, that's of absolutely no consequence to 33-50% of the parties directly involved.

Cows in field = do not enter/leave by the exit nearest to you and furthest from the Bovines immediately.

Should by all rights also be followed with sheep, horses, chickens, goats, llamas, ostriches, pigs and any other livestock, particularly when accompanied by what their thousands and thousands of years of instinct tells them is a wolf, but I'll stick with the cows that are the focus of this thread at present.

Yes, absolutely. Not just farms - can be any type of private land.

I'm not the poster you tagged but yes they do.

Where do you live out of interest?

I'm guessing you can't do the same there.

A right of way across farmland is only safe if the fields are being used for arable farming, set aside, or the path is fenced from the field.

Our one public path is fenced from the field with a wire fence, then an electric one on the animals side.

No, Cambridge, but probably similar. I moved here and got a surprise when I was cycling through a meadow yards from the city centre and a herd of cows appeared!

As the owner or occupier of land with a public right of way across it, you must keep the route visible and not obstruct or endanger users.

From gov.uk.

@JaneJeffer ... Yes. The old footpaths predate the farms and were quite often was the only way to get between places.

Recently moved to the countryside. I'd always believed I should avoid cows at all costs but especially if you have a dog with you. Got lost in woods and found ourselves in a clearing with cow pats, turns out cows are kept there as a heritage herd and are meant to be "placid". How?! If a cow sees a dog, something might happen as @Pippetypoppity explains!

I still stand by our restrained quiet panic to get out ASAP, we had to pass this massive animal with a few feet to spare. Luckily our dog had no idea it was even an animal and ignored it, as I chanted "goodboygoodboygoodboy" frantically under my breath. Luckily my dog is always kept on a lead in any case.

Told the story of our "lucky escape" to several locals and they couldn't understand why I was worried.

Yes.

I was geocaching with my daughter recently and the public footpath to the cache was through fields. The first few were fine. Then we got to a stile and as we were about to climb over we noticed a large herd of young bullocks across the field. They noticed us and came charging over to the gate. I think the were just being inquisitive but there was no way we were going in that field. There were no warning signs.

As someone who own ponies, I also wish people would realise that ponies are faster and more agile and often have steel shod hooves that amplifies the impact of a kick. They might seem friendlier but moods can change quickly and herds are dangerous, because if the herd leader decides they have a problem with you, the whole herd has a problem with you!