Concerned about trigger happy farmers

[Staffielove23]

I read a case where a dog was shot whilst on a lead. I came across this randomly whilst researching gun law. The dog had previously worried sheep and the owner had managed to put their dog back on a lead, but the farmer believed it would get loose again and shot it. The farmer was cleared of all charges in court recently and I believe this sets a worrying precedent.

It used to be the case that a dog could only be shot whilst in the act of sheep worrying to protect livestock, and not afterwards as punishment or a preventative measure against future attacks. This recent case isn’t reflective of this as the dog was shot because the farmer thought the dog might get loose again so it was done as preventative action.

Sheep worrying is ofcourse a crime and I support farmers when shooting is done as a last resort, and owners should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I walk my dog on a lead near livestock, always have and always will. It used to be the case that dog owners didn’t have to worry about their dogs getting shot providing we kept our dogs on a lead and under control. This no longer seems to be the case. If I am walking adjacent to a field or on a right of way, if the farmer is concerned or believes there is evidence of dog having previously worried sheep despite my dog not being guilty of doing such, then could they potentially shoot my dog as a preventative method and face no legal repercussions?

I feel the law is out of date and the authorities really don’t seem to have a good track record when it comes to holding farmers to account. I found another case where a dog was shot and fatally injured. Instead of ending its suffering the dog was left to suffer unnecessarily and it seems an awful lot like causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. There was another case where a dog ran into a field of sheep, which is totally unacceptable but it was running back to owner when it was shot. The owners was clearly very irresponsible but I still believe, based on the facts available to me, that the farmer acted disproportionately. Perhaps there is more to the story, I don’t know. I feel I’ve opened up a can of worms and I worry for my own dog and personal safety now.

This has been an issue for decades. Back in the 90s my neighbour was out walking his dog and a farmer accused him of letting it attack rabbits on his land. The farmer pointed a gun at the dog. My neighbour knelt down to put himself between the gun and the dog, and the farmer shot him in the head and killed him.

I wouldn't have thought a farmer would shoot a dog on the lead (unless it was a very long lead) as the risk of shooting the human would be bloody high.

Presumably the farmer was tried for murder or at the very least manslaughter then?

That’s horrific. I’m sorry. Was the farmer prosecuted? I would never allow my dog to kill anything, I don’t even let her chase squirrels but rabbits technically aren’t livestock so I don’t see how a farmer could have a legal defence for this.

Bloody hell, surely there's too much risk of shooting a person if shooting an on-lead dog is allowed.

@Bananah what a chilling story! I hope the farmer was charged with murder??

He was trialed for reckless endangerment of life (dog owner), but not for shooting the dog, and then cleared of all charges. I will look for the link.

Christ, is this true?? That's a horrific story!

The dog had previously worried sheep and the owner had managed to put their dog back on a lead, but the farmer believed it would get loose again and shot it.

The chance of it worrying livestock again was very high. Why had the owner let it off its lead for a second go??

If there are any livestock then keep your dog on a lead. Once a dog has attacked livestock it will try again. It has a taste for it.

Any links to these stories?

Well that's not okay, you can't go round shooting at dogs which are a few inches away from their owner...that's just insanity.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-farmer-who-shot-dog-29380411.amp

He believed the dog’s collar was about to come off so shot as a preventative method. He shot it based on what he thought might happen. I can’t believe he was found not guilty.

Think you need to move out of the country as you are so worried about farmers with guns

The farmer got sent down for manslaughter, but he only got the minimum two year sentence because the victim was trespassing on private property. He said the gun went off accidentally.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13289846/farmer-shoots-familys-beloved-pet-cockapoo/amp/

The farmer may have been right in shooting but why not finish the job? The dog really suffered here and it was unnecessary.

You’ve linked to cases years apart in two completely separate legal jurisdictions. There is the law of England and Wales, and then there is Scottish law.

That’s what worries me. It’s their word against yours. No CCTV or witnesses in the countryside. They could say they seen your dog worrying sheep when it was a different dog or an outright fabrication, and the burden of proof seems to be on the owner.

I think you’re misunderstanding. There was one incidence of sheep worrying and the owner managed to get their dog back on a lead. but the farmer shot it whilst on a lead because he thought it would get loose again.

Any dog chasing livestock should be shot and the owners prosecuted. Every year people are warned to keep their dog on a lead near livestock and every year sheep are killed or maimed by off lead dogs.

Farmers think they have a right to kill any animal they like - we shouldn’t just be upset when they kill pets.

No mis understanding . The dog was a menace and would have done it again given half a chance by a dim wit owner.

Some farmers are crazy and really shouldn’t be allowed guns.

We've been threatened twice by two different farmers saying they’ll shoot our dogs if they catch them off lead. We never left them off lead unless they’re on our land and they were not on the farmers land. Just dangerous men with guns on a power trip. It’s frightening.

That dog had already worried livestock. Had it not been allowed to do so the farmer wouldn't have had any cause for concern. Him being cleared shows that the evidence showed just cause.

The impact of dogs "worrying" (understatement of the century) livestock is utterly devastating, leading to spontaneous abortion in pregnant ewes, and death of ewes and tups. Cows can be injured so badly they have to be destroyed. The risk to life is very high, the suffering awful, and the cost to a farmer can be thousands. That's why it's an offence, and why dogs can be shot. They may be pets, but their lives aren't more important than the animals they harm when allowed to worry livestock.

Keeping dogs on a short lead is very simple. Alternatively stay out of fields with livestock in. Do either of those and no animals - be they dogs or livestock - will come to harm.

There is no excuse for dogs worrying livestock - if an owner fails to prevent it, it's their fault if their dog gets shot.

Even if the owner has got the dog back on a lead following the sheep worrying incident? How long after the sheep worrying would the farmer have to shoot the dog? Could he potentially rock up at the dog owners home the next day and shoot? Do you see the problem with this line of thinking? Anyone caught sheep worrying should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law but shooting should be a last resort.

The first owner was walking a Siberian husky near sheep and allowed it to get off the lead. I’m inclined to believe the farmers story that it was getting loose again rather than the idiot owner.

The dog in the 2nd story was running loose and worrying sheep.

Both these dog owners have no one to blame but themselves. If you don’t want your dog shot then stop it worrying sheep. If you don’t feel capable of doing this then walk it elsewhere.

If you have ever seen a field of sheep after a dog has been in attacking them you would understand why the farmer feels compelled to take action and has a legal right to do so.
Not only are sheep left with horrendous injuries but during lambing season many will abort.
If you turn it around, how would you feel if a sheep entered your garden and killed your dog or cat. I suspect you would want the sheep destroyed in case it killed more dogs.