Legal Advice re sheep worrying

[Strong Stuff 2,171]

Just out of interest ............

 

How much is a sheep?

 

Are we talking tens or hundreds of pounds?

 

Just interested.

 

Last time I had dealings £20 for an old yew and £50-60 for a spring lamb ready to slaughter

 

that was 7-8 years ago

 

Thanks for that, wasn't sure how much they were worth.

[Tommy Gunn 0]

Thanks for that, wasn't sure how much they were worth.

No probs makes you wonder why we pays so much for lamb chops!

[Scallywag 78]

Well, good news all round. I think the police probably talked a bit of sense into the farmer and he's agreed to settle outof court and say no more about it. That seems fair to both sides to me. Thanks everyone for all your help, one of my dogs isn't reliable around sheep sp I really felt for this woman, could have been in her position with a bit of bad luck.

Round here I think it's about £50 for a lamb and very little for a ewe.

[will.f11 24]

this might sound a bit harse, but if she new the dog had issues, then it should have been on a lead. and living on a farm myself, it would be very annoying if a dog came up and started biting the sheep. The farmer hasnt done owt wrong and he has had to put time and money into dealing with the sheep. I dont blame him for wanting to follow it to court but thats just my opinion. I hope it works out good on both sides of the story.

[Scallywag 78]

Just going to say this one more time - she knew he had poor recall but did not know he wasn't stock safe. She's had him on lead for several weeks working on recall in enclosed areas. He was in a TOWN PARK which many people use because it's regarded as a safe dog walking area and he ran out of it and then some considerable distance to reach the sheep. She's not an idiot.

[will.f11 24]

I never called her an idiot, but she was responsible for the dog

[Scallywag 78]

Of course she was, and is happy to take responsibility for any harm he's done by paying compensation. As has been said several times, the dog will not be off lead again.

[spookster1 24]

Thats good news and I think fair for both.

I understand how annoying this can be for the farmer but as SS said the owner of the

dog thought he would be safe where she let him off, the sheep were some distance away.

I use to be pestered by sheep cow and pig where I live all the time.My new lawn ruined by cows and pigs, i never received any compenstion. I use to find sheep dead on the beach, turned over on their back, stuck, in the woods. The farmer wasn't bothered

and it took years of complaining to get him to mend his bloody fences. I was lucky my dogs didn't

chase the sheep but it was risky and stressful.

The owner of the dog did not anticipate the outcome and

accepts responsiblity, We're not all perfect and accidents happen, even to the best of us!

Edited November 17, 2008 by spookster1

[Doglost Co-Ordinator 4]

I appreciate both sides of this, I've friends that are farmers both arable & livestock. I've no doubt if the women thought for one minute the dog was going to chuck a mental & run off out of the park she wouldnt have let it off.

 

At least it's been amicably resolved, hopefully the farmer didnt loose any stock & the lady has learnt that the dog is still a fruitcake. I'd advise investing in a horse lunge line or a good quality tape flexi lead. I use both- it's a pain at times but until the trust is there then a least the dog will get a bit of freedom to wander further away & she'll have peace of mind that he cant run off again.

 

The alsation/grey I've got just dont get horses, he's ok one minute then acting up like an idiot next minute. He goes on a lead the minute i hear the hooves, not seen a sheep yet but i wouldnt trust him for one minute specially when they go all bolshy & stare you out-he'd jump on them

[bird 9,599]

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

 

 

 

 

Spot on regards stock, even some sheep dogs can turn and they are with sheep 24/7. I had

lurcher colliex grey in 82, he was broke to stock from 10 weeks as soon as he had is jabs. He would

never even look at a sheep, he was 6years old and worked hard on all game [ rabbits,hare, foxes,deer] One day out with him in jan morning, a hare got up and he chased it from the field to a

wood. He went in the wood, while he was in the wood , a feckin deer came flying out . I thought pity he didnt see that fecker when he was coming back to me he had to past a field with sheep in it,

some of the sheep scattered. He ran one to the corner of the edge, i shouted and ran after him,

he didnt touch it, he just got it traped in the corner. I got him and wacked him with my stick and

picked him up by is neck and really shouted at the fecker Why he had done it, maybe the scent

of the deer i dont know, but he never looked at a sheep for 6 years . He never bother'd with

sheep again, but as you say can really trust them 100%. ??, and at the End of the Day all live

stock end up on you dinner plate.