Monday, December 13, 2010

Please read the signs

I was sad and disappointed  (if not surprised) that five sheep have been found dead in the past month over at Hatfield Forest apparently due to being worried by dogs.

Ian Pease, the forest’s conservation warden said

I’m fed up with picking up dead sheep worried or killed by out-of-control dogs

last week we had two killed, one on Wednesday evening and one on Thursday morning (December 1 and 2)

They were perfectly healthy animals that were found dead with bite marks on their back legs.

People have also letting their dogs off the lead while walking near the cows and young calves which also graze the forest.

Alas none of this surprises me. There seems to be a number of dog walkers who let Rover run all over the place regardless of the signs. The lake and boardwalk area is leads only but many owners ignore it. Equally there are signs asking visitors to keep dogs away from livestock. I have commented to the Trust that the signs are pretty poor generally and you could easily miss them as some look like info signs - you know the sort of thing "this way to the cafe, this way to the...." and a sign of a dog on a lead those clear is easy to miss..

And let me add I don't blame the dog I blame the owner!

5 comments:

Tricia Ryder said...

It beggars belief in this day and age, that dog owners are so irresponsible. It's bad enough around Black Pond where dogs are actively encouraged to jump in and then play in the water.

In Bushy Park there are one or two large signs which are, in the main, mostly ignored and the dogs chase the waterfowl.

But the attacking of animals is beyond the pale and is nothing short of sheer cruelty!!

holdingmoments said...

Totally agree Pete, and with Tricia's comments.
We had a Swan killed by a dog recently, at a local lake; Willen. The owners want locking up.

oldcrow61 said...

I totally agree with what everyone else has said.

Anonymous said...

Well said Peter.
The people who behave irresponsibly when 'almost' controlling there dogs need to be told what their doing wrong. They should be jailed for they're bad behaviour.

Daley Male

The Quacks of Life said...

@anony sarcasm!

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