Farmers Shooting Dogs

[banana]

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Does anyone know what the law is regarding Farmers shooting dogs on their land?

I know that if dogs are worrying sheep or livestock then farmers have a right to shoot dogs, but what about pheasants?

I only ask as a local farmer has threatened to shoot any dogs seen chasing pheasants on his land?

My son was so scared when he heard gunshot when he was walking the dogs the other day that he turned around and came back - well thats what he said the reason was anyway!! lol

 

[Biker John]

I think its that a Farmer / Landowner can shoot any dog that they have a reasonable suspicion is posing a threat to their stock. I would guess that pheasants could be considered as stock.

 

[banana]

The whole village is freaking out! Hehe

 

[storm1]

someone could end up with a dead dog knowing what some farmers are like

shoot first ask questions later beware

 

[banana]

I know - he has warned the parish council and has been out there waving his gun about.

Trouble is, his land is part of the country walks in the village so it means that dogs absolutely can't go off the lead in the area.

 

[lurcherman]

as a dog owner you have to be so careful on land thats not yours, lets be honest its his land and so many people nowdays just trash the place so be careful outthere, ive got two lurchers and at yeah at times its a worry but do whats right and take care

 

[eingana]

Sadly I know of quite a lot of cases when farmers have done just that- shot the dog on the basis of 'suspicion' and there is nothing at all that the owner can do about it.

I think that the onus is on dog owners to ensure that that farmers can't have any reason to throw their weight around. If your dog is chasing any animals or birds on a farmer's land then the dog is at risk.

However, on a positive note, GSDR has recently successfully defended a dog accused by a farmer of being dangerous and therefore at risk of being seized and destroyed by police, and the result was that all charges were dropped and the CPS was reprimanded for bringing such a case in front of the judge. If the farmer in question cannot properly identify the dog from a selection of similar dogs that all live in the area then he's on dodgy ground for getting that dog destroyed. The key in this case was making sure that the dog was not found by the farmer on his land.

Get permission for being on a farmer's land if you're going to use it!

 

[Blue wrecking it]

there are no trespassing laws in scotland. you can walk your dogs anywhere you like aslong as you follow the countryside code (close gates, dont ruin fences etc).

i dont know about you BUT if it was me and my dogs were threatened without just cause i would go round and have a QUIET word with him and explain.

if that does not work then next time he is out waving his shotgun about RING THE POLICE and keep ringing them. you feel threatened by his behaviour.

OR

go round his house and throw a bag of dog shiit through his letterbox and hang a pheasent from his doorbell.

THR THING WITH FARMERS/ GAMEKEEPERS IS THEY CANT STAY AWAKE 24/7. IF YOU HAVE BEEN REASONABLE AND LAW ABIDING AND THEY PERSIST TO BE IDIOTS AND PUTTINF YOURS/ YOUR DOGS LIFE AT RISK THEN GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH NO DOGS OR WEAPONS AND SET AS MANY FIREWORKS OFF AS YOU CAN. SEE HOW MANY PHEASANTS HES GOT HANGING ABOUT THEN!

 

[lurcherman]

cant agree with some of thethings you say blue, for one i wouldnt go around and upset a farmer as your saying, you may be law abiding as i am also but getting on wrong side of a farmer may result in a battle with your dogs ending up dead, i walk on farmers land nearly every day with no permission but i respect his land and every time i feel i must the dogs end up back on lead now he has seen this and waves hello on lots of accasions and has never asked me to leave, my dogs are nearly 11 and touch wood have been safe, until that day when i have a problem with a farmer or the police then my adventures have been all good.

 

[Chaumsong]

It's all about mutual respect isn't it. As Blue says here in Scotland we have the right to roam pretty much anywhere and your dog doesn't have to be on a lead, but it does have to be under control at all times so that includes not letting it chase livestock, including pheasants. I can't guarantee the hounds won't chase so I choose to walk on common land rather than farmers land. When the borzois were still alive though they had to be walked in enclosed fields as they would chase (and eat) pretty much anything. Then I used empty farmers fields, left them as I found them and never had a problem with any farmer. I was also careful to not let them run in fields that bordered onto fields with livestock so there could be no possible grounds for complaint.

Blue the rest of your post is frankly irresponsible and does nothing for dog owners, I can only hope you are joking!

Banana to sum up yes the farmer could shoot your dog if he catches it chases livestock, including pheasants which cost time and money to rear. I would stick to walking in safe places.

 

[banana]

Mine are pretty good, but I just think if they caught sight of a pheasant, I would struggle to get them back.....

 

[hayball2001]

If you are walking across a farmers land then you and your dog are only allowed to be walking on the footpath. If your dog strays off the footpath and chases the landowners or farmers livestock including pheasants then your dog is putting them at risk and the farmer is legally entitled to shoot your out of control dog, once he has given you chance to stop your dog and get it back onto the footpath.

If you dog is on the land and chasing stock and you are not there then the farmer is allowed to shoot your dog if he cannot get your dog to stop by shouting at it or trying to chase it off.

Basically if you have a dog keep it under control. If you cant keep it under control off lead then keep it on lead.

Having seen the damage that dogs can do to livestock (i have had sheep worried previously) then totally understand the need for the law.

 

[Blue wrecking it]

dont get me wrong. i am a law abiding citizen with farmers who i have permission off. i do everything to keep in the good books and i woild say im a model 'hunter' where respect is concerned.

i am making the point that if your dog is at risk then dont just sit and worry about it, go and see him. explain who you are, what you do and discuss any worriew with him.

if he is waving a gun about- RING THE POLICE!!!! hes not exempt from the law because he is a farmer.

maybe my response was a little harsh. again just making a point that if hes a cnut with people they could be a cnut 10 times worse than he could without the dogs.

 

[Chaumsong]

If you are walking across a farmers land then you and your dog are only allowed to be walking on the footpath.

Not in Scotland All good points though, but here in Scotland we have the right to roam, walk dogs, engage in sporting activities just about anywhere, there are of course still rules to be followed like not letting your dog worry livestock.

 

[lurcherman]

its a stupid law in scotland then cus not everyone cares about what they do i.e. leaves gates open, wander into places where they should not be, if that is the lw then i feel a bit sorry for the farmer who at the end of the day is trying to make a living, nice debate thow :thumbsup:

 

[Chaumsong]

its a stupid law in scotland then

Depends on whether you're a landowner or not doesn't it. I love having the right to roam here, I live in the country and can walk in any direction from my house over farmers fields etc with the dogs off lead for most of it, wonderful freedom to go anywhere. I hate it when I go 'down south' and see lovely grass or stubble fields but know that I'd have to go and ask someones permission to let my dogs run there, it seems such a waste.

However if I won the lottery and bought a huge place for my dogs I would hate the fact that anyone else could also walk their dogs in my fields :lol:

 

[eingana]

I'd be interested to know if there's any differential rates of either accusations of dogs being 'out of control' on farm lands, of attacks by dogs on farm animals or of dog shootings by farmers, between the land rules in England and those in Scotland. It may highlight very different attitudes along with the different laws.

Does anybody know if those sorts of figures may be available anywhere?

 

[Blue wrecking it]

How is it a stupid law? It gives responsible owners to walk their dogs on any land in scotland. If the law didnt exist then half of the scottish countryside would be private and nobody would get to see its beauty.

I thought you woukd know the law being a lurcherman. Or you should do.

Its the irresponsible owners that leave a bad taste in farmers/landowners mouths. Leaving gates open/breaking fences and worrying their stock.....not the people that walk their dog, close the gates and take care where they can!

A minority ruining it for the majority.

I am out lamping with my dogs most night and shut every gate, walk the outside of crop fields and steer clear or woodblocks with pheasants. Nobody has an issue.

 

[Strix]

If your dog is off lead on somebody else's land, it should be under close control. A farmer may have the right to shoot a dog, but not a human, so if your dog is by your side, he can't shoot it, let alone claim it was worrying sheep *shrugs*

If I can teach a beagle to walk to heel, nobody else has an excuse

 

[lurcherman]

blue ive been walking the fields all my life, and the main think in me i know right from wrong and that keeps me safe, untouched, unharmed, and responsible, i havnt got a problem at all with peeps walking into fields just the morons that sometimes wander into them, now i will still walk the fields until my legs give up,