Farmers rights to shoot dogs...

[gruntygiggles]

I support it. Thread inspired by this story:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-15399558


So, in my honest opinion, the death of these dogs is not the fault of the farmer...it is the fault of the owner who readily admits that her dogs were off lead, not under her control and in fact, out of sight and in another field.

As dog owners you HAVE to be responsible. Taking away a farmers right to protect his livestock will be a very poor move.

Debate away...

EDIT: I updated the link!

[TamSV]

Heard this on the radio yesterday. Of course he was within his rights.

It's sad for the dog owners but they still don't seem to think anything was wrong with letting their animals loose in a field with livestock. They knew their dogs wouldn't attack a cow - but it's difficult to convince the cow of that.

There were a few people on the radio yesterday saying how their dogs were just like children. I've checked and they're not even similar.

IMO it's much better for both you and the dog if you treat them like dogs, not like people.

As usual, we only know what the reporter wants us to think about the story. if the dogs were a regular nuisance, worrying cattle on more than one occasion then its sad but definitely the owners fault, however if this was the case the farmer is duty bound to report the incidents to the police before taking law into his own hands. If it was a one off then..... if for example one of my dogs slipped its lead and before i could catch him was shot by a farmer i would be in jail.

[TamSV]

The woman herself was interviewed on radio yesterday and confirmed her dogs were regularly in that field, off the lead. Her husband was some distance away, in a different field. This was how they chose to exercise their dogs.

She still appeared to see nothing wrong with that. She thought it was the farmers responsibility to track them down and tell them to stop letting their dogs run free in a field of livestock.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by bint

"gentle natured creatures", who were "our children"

Obviously a blithering idiot.

I'm with the farmer, the BBC are a set of pr*cks for reporting it in this fashion which will see the do-gooder "animals are more important than people" eejits out in force. IMO you should be able to shoot them if they're seen near your livestock, probably after worrying them in a different way, wierdos...

[Nobbylad]

I would almost expect him to be allowed to shoot the owners.

What kind of responsible dog owner would allow their dogs to roam, off lead, out of sight on a field where livestock are known to be?

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by Kilted Ginger

As usual, we only know what the reporter wants us to think about the story. if the dogs were a regular nuisance, worrying cattle on more than one occasion then its sad but definitely the owners fault, however if this was the case the farmer is duty bound to report the incidents to the police before taking law into his own hands. If it was a one off then..... if for example one of my dogs slipped its lead and before i could catch him was shot by a farmer i would be in jail.

True...but I am not taking the farmers argument or the BBC's opinion from which to make my own opinion here. I am taking it from the words of the female owner of the dogs that were shot. A farmer should not have to leave his livestock to track down an owner to tell them to get their dog on a lead.

Yes, I would love for a farmer to do that and I would have questions over a farmer just shooting as soon as he saw dogs running, but in this case, it is admitted by the owner that the dogs are regularly in that field, running around and unsupervised. I sish the dogs hadn't been shot but this woman should NOT be calling for a change in the law.

It is VERY rare for a farmer to shoot a dog, but taking away their right to do so is inherently wrong.

Haven't read the story on the website but guessing its the same as what was on radio 2 the other day. Farmer is totally right to do what he did.

He said he has had to put 2 cows down in the past due to injuries from dogs and each cow is around £5000.

That is his livelihood, without those he doesnt eat... Dog owners should be more careful!

correct me if im wrong but i think the law says you have to keep a dog on a leed on a puplic footpath or bridalway.and just because a footpath goes across someones land doesn't give them the right to do what they like with there dogs,in the case of most farm land it might be a public footpath but it is still on privatly owned land

[Biker Biggles]

Dont know about this case,but Id like to see a bit more supervision and investigation when serious weapons get used like this.Does sound like it was justified,but give a man a gun and its like a big willy to some,and gets overused accordingly.