Page 5 | To think you don't deal with an escaped cow by running it over!

Dobbyafreeelf · 2021-05-14T14:19:30+00:00

Last night Thames Valley Police deliberately hit and killed an escaped cow in a residential area. They claim it was out of control. Had they backed off and moved people away it would have likely calmed down enough to be contained. Chasing it caused it to injure a member of the public and police officer. It was not killed outright by being run over! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-57112449 AIBU to think that this is not a humane way of dispatching an animal? If it was that out of control surely firearms should have been used to dispatch it!

Dishwashersaurous · 15/05/2021 08:23

You do know what happens to cows at their end of their time on a farm right?

Sparklingbrook · 15/05/2021 08:28

@Dishwashersaurous

You do know what happens to cows at their end of their time on a farm right?

I don't think they get rammed by police vehicles prior to being killed for meat do they?

21Flora · 15/05/2021 08:38

On the news an eyewitness said the cow was charging after a child on a bike when they hit it. It’s obviously horrific but do you hit the cow or let it trample a child?

Dishwashersaurous · 15/05/2021 08:39

But they aren't gently shot and sent off to sleep either.

They are brutally killed

Inthesameboatatmo · 15/05/2021 09:04

I'm in the Thames valley.
Not the most ideal way to deal with but needs must.
As for a firearms unit are you joking.
They would've had to call in firearms from london .
No need for fire arms unit in the Thames valley

MyOctopusFeature · 15/05/2021 09:26

Not sure I agree with that @Inthesameboatatmo

We had an incident in the rural midlands two years ago when a young man was seen waving a gun in someone's front garden. An initial police firearms unit was there within 15 minutes and then further back up arrived within another 30 minutes. It was like a film set by 11am.

cupsofcoffee · 15/05/2021 09:30

@PenfoldPenny

Withdrawn

I can't work out whether this post is serious or not.

Talk to it calmly and lead it back to the field? It's not a stropping toddler! Cows are big, stupid and incredibly dangerous.

Believe me, you don't want to be anywhere near one when it's on the rampage, even if you are the owner! Cows kill people.

Kathers92 · 15/05/2021 09:33

I was once chased by an escaped cow on my own land when I went to feed my horses. she had jumped out of the farmers field over a 5 foot fence. It was pitch black and she really did charge luckily my dog (Rottweiler) defended me otherwise I am quite sure she would have run me over. Farmer tried to find and catch her for three days with no success and after a few incidents on the lane he shot her.

Bloodypunkrockers · 15/05/2021 09:33

@Lauren15

The police completely cocked this up imho. It was on the loose for quite a while and managed to get on the A329 between Reading and Bracknell, causing a 10 mile length of road to be blocked in both directions. It managed to get on it while the police where chasing it. I haven’t seen the video but apparently the police van hit the cow four times. There was plenty of time to get a firearms squad in. They did when a deer was loose on a major road in the area a few years ago. I’ve made a complaint and I know a lot of other residents have too.

You made a complaint?

FFS. How embarrassing for you

Ariela · 15/05/2021 09:39

[quote Sparklingbrook]Seems it is possible to shoot a cow dead

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-tyne-15926195[/quote]
As you can see, in this video the land behind the cow is a stream and wooded area. Thus easy to shoot without hitting people, houses, cars etc. if you miss. Ditto if you tried with tranquilizer darts.

Now I happen to know the area the cow was in too. It is heavily built up suburbia. No fields beyond. Houses everywhere. Lots of people, lots of cars, and being southern UK far, far more built up than Darlington (which I also know).

cupsofcoffee · 15/05/2021 09:40

@Kathers92

I was once chased by an escaped cow on my own land when I went to feed my horses. she had jumped out of the farmers field over a 5 foot fence. It was pitch black and she really did charge luckily my dog (Rottweiler) defended me otherwise I am quite sure she would have run me over. Farmer tried to find and catch her for three days with no success and after a few incidents on the lane he shot her.

That's so scary!

I'm a dog walker and I always avoid fields with cows, especially if they're in calf.

One escaped a cattle market when I was growing up and charged down the high street. I think they got people to hide in the local Woolworths

Ariela · 15/05/2021 09:41

@PenfoldPenny

Withdrawn

Clearly you are familiar with cows.

kennelmaid · 15/05/2021 09:47

I'm on the side of the cow. I believe she was from a dairy herd. The farmer was taking her calf away because he wants to sell the milk she's made for her calf. A cow will run after a farmer who's dragging her calf away or driving it away in a trailer. It's incredibly distressing and I think this is how the cow ended up on the road.

Piglet92 · 15/05/2021 09:49

To be fair in a residential area and if firearms weren't available it's probably the best option, it could then be euthanased by the farmer or a vet.

Angry cows are dangerous, so there's a serious risk to human life.

donquixotedelamancha · 15/05/2021 09:50

I hope all you concerned people of the poor cow don’t eat meat!

That's a bit mean. I think some posters are arseholes but I wouldn't want them denied steak.

donquixotedelamancha · 15/05/2021 09:53

I'm on the side of the cow.

Yeah, me too. They should have left it as a fair fight between the kid and the cow.

Bloodypunkrockers · 15/05/2021 10:00

@PenfoldPenny

Withdrawn

You are joking I take it

(If you're being serious, oh my god)

cupsofcoffee · 15/05/2021 10:35

@kennelmaid

I'm on the side of the cow. I believe she was from a dairy herd. The farmer was taking her calf away because he wants to sell the milk she's made for her calf. A cow will run after a farmer who's dragging her calf away or driving it away in a trailer. It's incredibly distressing and I think this is how the cow ended up on the road.

Would you say that to the parent of the child it was chasing? Cows kill people. If the police hadn't done something, members of the public would very likely have lost their lives.

Ariela · 15/05/2021 10:38

@kennelmaid

I'm on the side of the cow. I believe she was from a dairy herd. The farmer was taking her calf away because he wants to sell the milk she's made for her calf. A cow will run after a farmer who's dragging her calf away or driving it away in a trailer. It's incredibly distressing and I think this is how the cow ended up on the road.

You're talking bullocks. It was a grazing bullock that the local authority use to graze the country park, and escaped as it was being let out to the pasture areas they graze (they have areas of the country park that are large fenced fields of rough grazing). Unfortunately this area of country park is surrounded by dense housing and a major road - which is where the bullock escaped to after trotting past Tescos.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 15/05/2021 10:40

The police would not have wanted to use a firearm of the correct calibre (.308 at absolute minimum, I'd think) on a moving target in a built up area - just too dangerous, as rifles like that have a long effective (person-killing) range (I think it's up to a mile). Horrible for the cow, but safest all round to immobilise and then put a bullet in at the right place at close quarters, using someone trained in and insured for humane despatch. The police should have a list of people who will come to e.g. deer injured in RTAs.

TBH trying to hit a moving cow with a rifle could have resulted in non-fatal injuries too. There is a reason why stalkers aim for stationary deer.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 15/05/2021 10:42

And if it was a beef steer... Beef cattle tend to be more temperamental than dairy cattle. They haven't been selected to be regularly handled, and they aren't used to frequent handling, either.

TwoAndAnOnion · 15/05/2021 10:51

@Inthesameboatatmo

I'm in the Thames valley. Not the most ideal way to deal with but needs must. As for a firearms unit are you joking. They would've had to call in firearms from london . No need for fire arms unit in the Thames valley

Really? here's a job advert to join

thamesvalleypolice.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/appcentre-External/brand-0/candidate/so/pm/6/pl/1/opp/807-Police-Transferee-PC-ARV-Officers/en-GB

rwalker · 15/05/2021 10:53

"Can't stop laughing a reply where poster said "why didn't they get the farmer to talk to it to calm it down "

please tell me there taking the piss.

MusicWithRocksIn1t · 15/05/2021 10:54

It wasn't humane that's a outright lie in the article but I live on a farm with several hundred cows and while they are curious, gentle and friendly when calm they are really big creatures! They can do a lot of damage without meaning to (my garden has been broken into numerous times and had many things destroyed by accident) so when scared and stressed in totally unfamiliar settings I can see how dangerous they would be.
But I agree ramming it repeatedly with a vehicle is awful. But maybe they couldn't think of another solution.
Must have been one hell of a vehicle to still be running after ramming a cow once let alone 4 times!

TwoAndAnOnion · 15/05/2021 10:55

@PenfoldPenny

Withdrawn

They walk amongst us