If my dog killed a sheep I'm the one responsible yes?

[YerAWizardHarree]

THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO MY DOG

Just seen a post on my local group that said a dog had got loose and killed 4 sheep so the farmer had shot it dead. Loads of people saying it was disgusting that the dog was shot, whereas my point of view was that it 100% is the owners fault for having a dog that had poor recall of the lead. I mentioned it to my local dog training group and I've been called a cunt, a fucking disgraceful human being. I'm not saying that the dog should have been shot I'm saying that the owner is at fault for allowing the situation

You can't reason with fools, OP.

You are saying that the dog owner is at fault.
They are hearing (reading) I'm glad the dog was shot/the dog deserved to be shot.

Some people decide what you are saying and will not take in your actual words.

It's ridiculous.

Is it the dog's fault?
No. It's a dog. It behaves like a dog. It follows its instincts like a dog. It's a dog.

Is it the farmers fault? For being a farmer? For having sheep? For not choosing to look on and watch an entire field of sheep mauled or scared to death? No.

That leaves... Da da da... The fucking dog owner.

I was working in the yard one day when a car stopped and someone yelled that there were dogs loose in among our sheep in a field around a mile away. My workmate went and got his shotgun, but by the time he got to the field the dogs had gone, leaving 14 dead sheep and countless bitten ones. Our flock was only small too.We then discovered they had also been in a neighbouring farmers field and killed quite a few there as well. We had to go down in the horsebox and collect the bloodied carcasses. A bit of swift detective work (and someone seeing, and recognising, the bloodied pair of dogs, skulking around the locality) led the police to the owner, who, unbelievably, was actually hosing the blood off the dogs when they arrived. The dogs were medium sized mixed breed. They were both seized and destroyed, their owner was prosecuted and fined thousands.
I will never forget seeing the pile of dead bloodied sheep in our lorry, or the smell, as there was a delay before we could get them to the hunt kennels, and it was high summer.

My shepherd was on the verge of shooting her own sheep dog. Sadly she couldn't be trained and was too aggressive with the sheep.
We've had sheep worrying in our flock and it really is sickening.
If you want abuse here then post politely about the need for dogs to be kept under control near in lamb ewes and lambing ewes. Wait for a torrent of abuse from local dog owners.

Dogs are predators.

I really wish people would understand this alongside the fact that sheep, cows and horses are prey animals.
When confronted with a predator, prey animals will run to escape, or if they can't some will fight and defend themselves. Horses and cattle are far more adept at this having longer legs and weighing more, sheep are like sitting ducks. They are very limited in how they can defend themselves. That leaves them more inclined to run, and injure themselves. They run from fear, which is in itself harmful to any animal.
A lot of dog owners don't know these basic things. It shouldn't be an excuse.

If you don't keep your dog on lead around livestock then that is the risk you are taking. The thing is if a dog attacked a child and that child's parent killed a dog no one would think the parent was in the wrong. I think it says a lot about how we view farm animals in the UK that people can bush aside the fairly brutal deaths of several sheep but be so offended by the death of a dog.

Oh god Reedwarbler that is horrific.

They run from fear, which is in itself harmful to any animal. They run into a group and suffocate

I'm still amazed at how many idiots allow dogs off leash in livestock fields. The farmer had every right to shoot the dog and it's the owners fault. I doubt the farmer would have enjoyed shooting the dog. As a dog owner and living rural ive seen dogs attack livestock. Its horrific. Most of the time these idiots won't report the incident so dog owners in general get the blame. The last attack near me was a dog walker who had far too many dogs to handle and one of the dogs attacked a pregnant ewe. I think she would have just left without saying anything and let other dogs take the blame but she was caught leaving and reported.

You were entirely right OP.

The farmer is 100% within his rights to shoot a dog harassing sheep on his land.

If dog owners are too moronic to know that they shouldn't have a dog.

The owner has said that as the dog is a husky it's natural for her dog to want to chase sheep and it's beyond her control to stop it

I grew up in a rural area in Wales. I remember as a child being in a local pub restaurant and my Dad chatting with the waiter and waitress (married couple) who had recently moved there from a big city. They were waxing lyrical about how they loved it, how beautiful the scenery was, and how their GSD liked "playing with the sheep "... you know that moment when the whole room freezes and looks at you......