Sheep worrying, called someone out on social media. I'm sure I wasn't BU but usually don't get involved.

[needastrongone]

So someone I'm 'friends' with on FB put an 'amused' comment today about her dog disappearing today, then reappearing about 10 minutes later chasing a pack of sheep....and wishing she'd videoed it...

12 people were amused by it...

I rarely make comments on FB but couldn't stop myself commenting that the sheep could have aborted and the dog been shot and that really wasn't funny....all very politely....

I know I'm not BU but I'm astounded folk thought this was in any way amusing or acceptable.

Seriously, was I BU? Was I?

Well said need and scrowy

Amazing what you learn on MN. Llamas are safe around sheep, who knew?

I wonder whether they trample dogs and their owners . . .

Alpacas have killed foxes before - they are very protective of their herd even if is one including hens/sheep... they are great guard animals.

Send your "friend" the following extract from the Animals Act:

Animals Act 1971

3 Where a dog causes damage by killing or injuring livestock, any person who is a keeper of the dog is liable for the damage, except as otherwise provided by this Act.

5 Exceptions from liability

(4) A person is not liable under section 3 of this Act if the livestock was killed or injured on land on to which it had strayed and either the dog belonged to the occupier or its presence on the land was authorised by the occupier.

Protection of livestock against dogs

9 Killing of or injury to dogs worrying livestock.

(1) In any civil proceedings against a person (in this section referred to as the defendant) for killing or causing injury to a dog it shall be a defence to prove-

(a)that the defendant acted for the protection of any livestock and was a person entitled to act for the protection of that livestock; and

(b)that within forty-eight hours of the killing or injury notice thereof was given by the defendant to the officer in charge of a police station.

(2) For the purposes of this section a person is entitled to act for the protection of any livestock if, and only if-

(a) the livestock or the land on which it is belongs to him or to any person under whose express or implied authority he is acting; and

(b) the circumstances are not such that liability for killing or causing injury to the livestock would be excluded by section 5(4) of this Act.

(3)Subject to subsection (4) of this section, a person killing or causing injury to a dog shall be deemed for the purposes of this section to act for the protection of any livestock if, and only if, either-

(a) the dog is worrying or is about to worry the livestock and there are no other reasonable means of ending or preventing the worrying; or

(b) 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 whom it belongs.

(4) For the purposes of this section the condition stated in either of the paragraphs of the preceding subsection shall be deemed to have been satisfied if the defendant believed that it was satisfied and had reasonable ground for that belief.

(5) For the purposes of this section-

(a) an animal belongs to any person if he owns it or has it in his possession; and

(b) land belongs to any person if he is the occupier thereof.

and tell her that farmers can and do exercise their rights. The dog could be shot and she could be sued for a lot of money.

I know this is going to make me sound stupid but I'm a townie.

How come the sheep dogs are OK to heard the sheep. Or do they farmers not use sheep dogs when the ewes are pregnant.

I'm not implying anything I'm just interested.

afternoon
the sheepdogs are trained not to run and chase the sheep. it's very orderly what they are doing.
and yes, the speed of driving sheep is slower closer to lambing.

afternoon like brown said sheep dogs are mostly highly trained.

They tend to gather sheep initially from a distance and then almost shrink to the ground and crawl along the ground when they get closer behind the sheep. The farmer controls the dog with commands, whistles and hand gestures to indicate how fast, slow, wide etc they want the dog to work.

Not only that but the sheep will recognise the farmer and the dog and know that they are 'safe'. The farmer will probably feed the sheep every day during winter, and be round the lambing fields every few hours in lambing time so is a very familiar presence.

Saying that if we need to move sheep that are heavy in lamb we don't tend to use a dog, we slowly walk them where we want them to be using feed as a bribe. This is because the sheepdogs instinct if a sheep breaks free from the flock is to shoot out and round it back up again, and despite everything I've written above there is a risk that this short chase could be stressful on the individual sheep, so we don't take the risk.

Whilst it’s crap that dogs are worrying your lovely sheep, I am fascinated to read this thread. I learn about all sorts of stuff on MN. It’s why I like it so much.