Rural Diaries – country life, the countryside and rural issues

Posted by Sally on April 30th, 2008 in Farming Issues, Pets

The Suffolk countryside was the scene of a tragic death of a woman walking her two dogs through the field the Simmental herd were grazing in.

I am sure it is only a month since I wrote my post dogs and sheep worrying and the damage the dogs can do to the livestock. Here we have the other of the same coin.

Miss Pearce’s dogs were described as ‘boisterous’ and the field she chose to walk them in contained a herd of cattle including a bull and four calves. It is a tragedy and my sympathy goes to the family of Miss Pearce but it is a warning to dog walkers that farm animals are not docile beasts that just eat grass all day.

There is nothing like a nice walk in the countryside, lungs full of fresh air and your dogs barking and playing happily. However dog owners must choose where they walk with more care. The right to ramble must be restricted to land that does not contain livestock.

At this time of year, when cows have calves at foot, even the most docile beasts will turn aggressive in order to protect their young. It is an instinct we as humans have, if our young are physically threatened we will turn violent if we feel that is required to protect them and cows are no different.

I have lived on a cattle farm, the very fist thing I was taught is that you never get between a cow and her calf. I have seen the distress that cows feel and express when you have to administer medicine to their calf, it can take two burly men and a well timed plan to get a calf injected before the mother tries to kill you. They are only doing what nature demands of them.

I have read that the a page on the farms B&B website describing the herd as “gentle” was removed yesterday and I find that disturbing. Just because they turned aggressive to protect their young does not mean they are not gentle. If they felt threatened by the behaviour of the dogs they are bound to react.

Unfortunately it seems that Miss Pearce tried to calm her dogs. If you are ever in this situation then just let the dogs go, the herd will go after the dogs and the dogs are quick enough to get away from the herd. This gives you time to get to safety and not suffer the same fate.

Please, if you walk your dogs in the countryside do not enter fields containing livestock. If you get half way across a field and spot livestock you could not see from the road or footpath then turn around quickly and go back the way you came. Demanding your right to ramble is one thing, giving your life for it is quite another.