Dog walkers and footpaths

[Browning]

Can anyone point me in the right direction concerning the law over dog walkers and public footpaths?

 

I have two particularly stupid women who insist on walking their dogs off the lead over the land that I keeper.

 

I have asked them politely on three occasions to please keep their dogs on a close lead and not let them

wander into the hedgerows.

 

Last night I got an emphatic "No I won't, he's not doing any harm".

 

So I need to take this to the next step and confront them and write to them, stating specific laws etc.

[BSA Shaun]

YOu could start by pointing out the dangers of letting the dogs off the lead.

 

I.e you have snare traps, pits etc and you would not be suprised if said pooch got caught in one and never returned. Also you could stress that there is shooting on the land and should 'fluffy' enter the wrong zones they would be coming home in pieces.

 

I think if you make it clear to her that you are doing it for the well being of pooch she might take a different view.

[Browning]

Shaun - Already done that mate, water of the proverbial ducks backto these stupid pair.

 

Winchester - Excellent stuff, just what I was looking for.

[Piebob]

http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things...r_close_control

[russuk]

There's a bit here as well...

 

http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk/things_to_do/dog_walking

 

http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Access/o...on/dog_lead.asp

[starlight32]

This post interests me greatly.

 

I have heard of farmers actually shooting dogs which are on their land causing distress to their animals. Does this actually stand up in court for either protection of livestock or game should you be that person?

 

Or would you be at severe risk of prosection, damages or even loss of your SGC should you shoot someones pet?

 

It would be a hard one for all of us to contemplate as many of us keep dogs, but nevertheless It does happen from time to time because it turns up in the papers.

 

The English law of protecting one's livestock I believe is a very old entitlement.

 

Regards starlight32

[russuk]

I can't find the actual written law, but there's lots of reference to it

 

Police say farmers can legally shoot your dog

 

However not for worrying a pet rabbit

 

 

What could happen if my dog chases or

worries livestock?

 

Always bear in mind it is an offence to allow

your dog to worry or attack livestock and

remember, as a last resort, a farmer is legally

entitled to shoot a dog they can’t stop chasing

or worrying their farm animals. A loose out of

control dog could cause a pregnant ewe to

miscarry or cause a newborn lamb to be

separated from and rejected by its mother.

As a responsible dog owner please do

everything you can to make sure no one has to

protect their livestock by destroying your dog.

[poppythedog]

There wouldnt be any repercutions as a dog not to heal on a wright of way is legaley out of controle and YOU can shoot the f **ing thing AND IF CHALLANGED YOUR DEFENCE IT WAS WORRYING YOUR GAME or you thought it was a fox

 

********.

[russuk]

An actual legal definition would be interesting if anyone can find it.

 

Some more internet bits...

 

DOGS, LIVESTOCK AND THE LAW

 

On any enclosed land with livestock, all dogs must be on a lead, or “under close controlâ€. On a Right of Way your dog does not have to be on a lead, but it must be “under close controlâ€. “Close control†is not defined in law, but pretty much means that if your dog will not always come, straight away, when called, even when chasing things, and then stay there, he could be at risk of being seen to worry animals. If there is any chance that he might go off, then the lead is the best option until you are out of the field with livestock in it.

 

Worrying livestock means attacking or chasing any farm animal or poultry – and there does not have to be any contact. Moreover, any dog which is not a working dog can be regarded as worrying livestock merely by being off a lead or not “under close controlâ€, in a field or enclosure where there are livestock. A landowner could shoot such a dog.

 

A farmer is legally protected in shooting a dog in his vicinity, if the animal is not under the charge of a person and is worrying, about to worry, or had worried, livestock and if he has no practical means of identifying the owner, or there is no means of preventing or ending the worrying.

[poppythedog]

There wouldnt be any repercutions as a dog not to heal on a wright of way is legaley out of controle and YOU can shoot the f **ing thing AND IF CHALLANGED YOUR DEFENCE IT WAS WORRYING YOUR GAME or you thought it was a fox

 

********.

Very constructive good input First of all i have consulted defra, lawyers , police wrights of way infact every man and dog who would know about your rights as a farmer and the protection of livestock and game so before YOU reply to any posts i surgest that YOU like i WHO has reserched this matter in very fine detail dose the same The catch word is CLOSE CONTROLE defanition Within ARMS REACH OF THE OWNER savi

You said worrying your GAME, well chum once a creature is released into the wild (and that includes release pens with open fox gates) it is no longer your property but a wild animal and neither you nor anyone else can shoot a dog for worrying wild animals. If you are daft enough to want to be a test case of the definition of close control then carry on and shoot someones little pet dog because it is chasing a pheasant.

 

I hope you feel good about it afterwards.

[poppythedog]

There wouldnt be any repercutions as a dog not to heal on a wright of way is legaley out of controle and YOU can shoot the f **ing thing AND IF CHALLANGED YOUR DEFENCE IT WAS WORRYING YOUR GAME or you thought it was a fox

 

********.

Very constructive good input First of all i have consulted defra, lawyers , police wrights of way infact every man and dog who would know about your rights as a farmer and the protection of livestock and game so before YOU reply to any posts i surgest that YOU like i WHO has reserched this matter in very fine detail dose the same The catch word is CLOSE CONTROLE defanition Within ARMS REACH OF THE OWNER savi

You said worrying your GAME, well chum once a creature is released into the wild (and that includes release pens with open fox gates) it is no longer your property but a wild animal and neither you nor anyone else can shoot a dog for worrying wild animals. If you are daft enough to want to be a test case of the definition of close control then carry on and shoot someones little pet dog because it is chasing a pheasant.

 

I hope you feel good about it afterwards.

Not a matter of feeling good but being in your wrights Please read the links above ie country code etc cheers

Its nothing to do with the country code which is not law. It's a matter of LAW and it is unlawful to shoot a dog because it is chasing or worrying pheasants or any other GAME. Livestock yes, game, no never under any circumstances.

I think this might be a good time to drop this one.

[al4x]

game isn't the same as livestock and you cannot shoot dogs chasing pheasants. Please do your checking again you'll find plenty of reference to livestock but game birds are not livestock

[Baldrick]

You will be hung out to dry in any Court if you plead that you shot a dog dead because it was chasing gamebirds. I am sure there is a dairy farmer or stockman lurking somewhere on PW who has first-hand experience of dogs worrying livestock, but it's not really a topic to air in a public arena.

 

Shooting a dog is the absolute last resort if it's worrying livestock.