Legal Advice re sheep worrying

[Scallywag 78]

A friend's dog ran off recently and returned very ripped up. She took it to the vet for treatment and the vet said they'd had a call from the police. A farmer had reported a dog in his sheep at the time when this dog had run off. The description sounds like her dog so it's probably him,. The vet passed her contact details on and last night the police got her out of bed at nearly midnight to interview her about it.

A few sheep had been bitten and the farmer had given them antibiotic jabs but not needed to take them to the vet. She has offered to pay compensation, vowed to keep the dog muzzled and on lead and is already consulting a behaviourist specialising in lurchers about this dog anyway as she inherited him from someone else and he's got a few issues. The farmer, however, is insisting on taking action, although the police are trying to persuade him to settle out of court.

She's a sensible, responsible country woman with stock of her own (horses) in the area and who had let the dog off after several weeks of work with him in what looked like a safe park, but he'd run right up out of the valley, through the woods and across a road to find sheep.

 

The question is: If it does go to court, what are the likely consequences? Could they order her to have the dog put down?

 

 

Thanks for your help.

[Kay 3,709]

A friend's dog ran off recently and returned very ripped up. She took it to the vet for treatment and the vet said they'd had a call from the police. A farmer had reported a dog in his sheep at the time when this dog had run off. The description sounds like her dog so it's probably him,. The vet passed her contact details on and last night the police got her out of bed at nearly midnight to interview her about it.

A few sheep had been bitten and the farmer had given them antibiotic jabs but not needed to take them to the vet. She has offered to pay compensation, vowed to keep the dog muzzled and on lead and is already consulting a behaviourist specialising in lurchers about this dog anyway as she inherited him from someone else and he's got a few issues. The farmer, however, is insisting on taking action, although the police are trying to persuade him to settle out of court.

She's a sensible, responsible country woman with stock of her own (horses) in the area and who had let the dog off after several weeks of work with him in what looked like a safe park, but he'd run right up out of the valley, through the woods and across a road to find sheep.

 

The question is: If it does go to court, what are the likely consequences? Could they order her to have the dog put down?

 

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Dont know anything about the legal side but at least she is acknowledging the problem & doing something about it, i dont think anyone can say 100% that there dog wont ever chase or attact stock even if previously they were seemingly broken to stock

 

I do hope the farmer will accept her compensation rather than it go through court, it seems like a lot of hassall when an offers already been made

[whippeter69 88]

My advice would to give Clive Rees a ring on 07969 378 750 or Email him on clive_rees@yahoo.co.uk, he is a Legal help person.

 

Hope this helps

Edited November 16, 2008 by whippeter69

[Guest rexdigger]

The description sounds like her dog so it's probably him,

 

if they cant prove it then tell the farmer to get fecked as for offering compo thats just admitting guilt so either way she will have to pay now anyway

[ferret boy charlie 0]

i thought the law said you can only shoot a dog if youve tried stopping it but have failed so there is no other choice but to shoot it in the act if this is true then tell the farmer to get f****d

[redlorryyellowlorry 27]

no evidence no case(farmer was the only witness and who says he's being truthful) tell her to dig her heels in and tell him to get fecked

[mad al 146]

Watcha Scally, has she asked the police what they think or where does she stand? CAB would be worth a visit http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

 

Al

[Scallywag 78]

Thanks for the advice and the contact info too. I agree that if it's a question of a face to face row with a farmer you step between him and your dog, challenge him to show evidence, tell him to f*ck off and then get on with sorting your dog out. However, now the police are involved and there's the possibility of legal proceedings I guess it's less straight forward. The farmer in question seems to be exptremely vindictive given he didn't actually lose a sheep, has been offered compensation and received assurances that the dog allegedly guilty will be kept on lead and seen by an expert behaviourist.

 

I suppose there is circumstantial evidence since the dog in question matches the description given by the farmer, was missing at the same time and received vet treatment for injuries........He does seem to be a vindictive old b*****d though.

[Scallywag 78]

I cannot understand why the police would phone a vets about a dog chasing sheep?

And i then cannot understand why the vet would then phone the police to say it might be this ladies dog, just doesnt sound right to me Scally?

Anyway, she needs to admit to nothing, offering to pay is like an admission of guilt.

 

I thought it was odd too but it seems the farmer called the police, the police rang the local vets and the vets are compelled to give contact info if they have it? I don't take stock worrying lightly but it all seems really heavy handed to me - especially turning up on the woman's doorstep late at night like they were going on a drugs raid. The police round here clearly haven't got enough to do.......I guess the farmer must have seen the dog was injured and anticipated that it would turn up for vet treatment? It was severely torn.

The woman in question is reliable though so if there's any funny business going on it's between the farmer and the police I'd say.

[spookster1 24]

I would get legal advice, wasn't there a case years ago where two standard poodles got out during the night.

Came home in the moring but that night some sheep were injured and the dogs were taken off of the people?

I can't remember the full story, memory not as good as it was I would have thought they would need proof but after reeding the case about the Poodles sounds like what the farmer says goes

if it were me i would have offered compensation too hoping that would be the end of it.

I hope this is sorted soon and your friends dog is ok!

[redlorryyellowlorry 27]

from some of the dealings i've had with farmers i've found them to be chancers trying to make a quick buck.the jabs the farmer used cost him next to nothing so whats he hoping to acheive other than making a few quid and getting a dog destroyed in the process.tell your friend to contact the farmer in question and tell him if he wants to take it further then do so but advise him that its going to cost him a small fortune and with the only evidence being his supposed sightings of the dog the chances of him winning anything are slim at best.

[Matt 160]

As someone else has already suggested, get legal advice, and quickly. Do not have any direct contact with the farmer, just refer him to the legal advisor.

 

The farmer would be silly to refuse an offer of reasonable compensation, the courts take a dim view of having their time wasted.

 

As for the dog being destroyed, I think it would be unlikely, as it is not a danger to public safety, and the owner is taking action to prevent a recurrence of stock worrying.

 

I'm surprised the police are involved, as I think this is a civil matter.

 

Get a lawyer on the case ASAP.

[alex24muk 0]

hi guys im new to this site but............. what kind of sheep were these when the alleged dog returned very ripped up, a knife weilding super strain of sheep

[Guest THE BEATNICK]

vets are not compelled to give out anything, its the same as a doc, you have to give the vet permission to speak about your animal so the vet would have to ask you first.

[Tiff 36]

sounds wierd to me ... maybe it is a very small village and the farmer is an important man in town so "proper" procedure was not followed? Maybe? Anyway the farmer has probably been having problems in the past and is fed up with stock worriers killing off/damaging his income (can't blame him), and because she has admitted to the vet and the police that it is probably her dog, she will have to suffer the consequences. I agree with the rest, contact Clive and he will give you the best representation available.