Heartbreaking dog attack on farmer’s calves highlights the need for keeping dogs on leads

Those with dogs may take the chance to get out into rural areas, but what should be a pleasant summer's walk could, however, turn into something much more sinister if dog owners do not put their pet on a lead.

Farmers Guardian's Take the Lead campaign, which launched in 2014, urges dog walkers to respect the rural way of life, highlighting the impact dog attacks can have on farmers' businesses and livelihoods.

On August 9, Cheshire dairy farmer Phil Latham encountered a horrific dog attack on his four-week-old calves.

The calves are housed in a unit, and the house next to it is occupied by tenants.

On this particular evening, the tenants’ dogs, a rhodesian ridgeback and rottweiler, were seen leaving the calf pen.

Eighteen out of Phil’s 20 calves had been savaged.

“The vet started work and it soon became apparent there were multiple injuries – legs were bitten, chunks of flesh were missing, there were tears and multiple puncture wounds from multiple bites on some calves,” says Phil.

“The dogs’ owner arrived – the dogs had been out all day. Like all owner of pets their first reaction was: Our dogs would not do that.

“I pointed out that this was the second dog attack. Two years ago, we had eight calves bitten but the owner took no responsibility, and the police said there was no evidence to follow up on. The dogs were put in the house.”

One calf has since been put down due to a rotting wound, and the injuries were, says Phil, horrific.

In February, the National Farmers Union revealed that the UK cost of livestock worrying had risen by 30% and cost UK farmers £2.4 million in the previous year.

A further NFU Mutual survey of dog owners at the time also found that there was a 4% increase in people letting their dogs off lead in the countryside, compared to the year before, and under half of those respondents said their pet always came back when called.

Dog attacks have a significant impact on farmers’ businesses too.

Phil says: “These animals are our future herd and losing them in a closed herd means a reduction of future income and a damage to business sustainability. Much more important, though, is that the welfare of cattle in our care was compromised by someone who did not care enough to change their behaviour after the last attack.”

Top tips for respecting the countryside:

- Keep dogs on a lead when walking in rural areas where livestock are kept but let go of the lead if chased by cattle

- Be aware that all dogs, regardless of size, breed, and temperament, can cause the distress, injury and death of farm animals

- Report attacks by dogs to the police or local farmers

- Never let dogs loose unsupervised in gardens near livestock fields - many attacks are caused by dogs which escape and attack sheep grazing nearby