A 53-year-old woman from Sandown has paid compensation of £300 to a shepherd after her dog killed a sheep back in March.
On the afternoon of 14th March this year, a dog off a lead chased sheep that were grazing in a field, before it bit and killed one.
A few days later, the dog owner visited the shepherd to apologise and offered to pay for the loss.
Following a review of the evidence obtained by the Country Watch team, and in consultation with the victim in this case, the dog owner has been spoken to by police and dealt with by means of community resolution.
Under the conditions of the community resolution, the dog owner – a 53-year-old woman from Sandown – has paid £300 compensation to the shepherd.
For those who aren’t familiar with community resolutions – these are out of court disposals, meaning that criminal offences can be dealt with following an admission of guilt by a suspect, without pursuing criminal charges or a prosecution through court.
They are issued on a case by case basis, factoring in the full circumstances based on the evidence, and most importantly in line with the wishes of the victim.
Police Staff Investigator Andrew Williams, from the Country Watch team, said:
“The majority of dog owners are responsible, but unfortunately there are a small minority whose recklessness puts the welfare of other animals at risk.
“It is so important to keep dogs either on leads or under close control, particularly around livestock.
“If you are walking your dog in a field and there is no livestock, please keep the dog in sight at all times, be aware of what it is doing, and be confident it will return to you promptly on command. If you cannot be confident of this, the dog should not be off the lead.
“Ensure the dog does not stray off the path or area where you have right of access.”
Only one word for this, another irresponsible dog owner….let’s hope she has changed her attitude…
That is four words, followed by seven words. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver.
Sorry, which was the ‘one’ word… ??
You then wrote 11 words
That looks like more than one word to me.
not all dog owners are irresponsible
See it all the time. Speak to them and dog owners say “oh my little pooch wouldn’t hurt a fly”. Well I’ve seen the sweetest little pooch going berserk biting sheep more than once. If your dog takes a fancy to biting sheep and it is off the lead, there is no way you are going to outrun it and stop it first.
Agree totally. The farmer is legally entitled to shoot a dog worrying or attacking his livestock. It’s a shame they can’t shoot the owners, it’s their fault.
It’s a shame farmers don’t routinely shoot dogs found worrying sheep (as they are legally entitled to shoot).
Perhaps a few highly publicised instances would get the message through to most owners.
totally agree our dog is never off the lead outside walking
Dogs kill more people than cyclists kill pedestrians. When will the council ban cyclists or let us shoot them?
Fair play to her for owning up and paying the compensation. However she is in the minority and while she hopefully has learned an expensive lesson many more irresponsible dog owners will continue to let their dogs off their leads in the presence of livestock and then deny that their soft little fluffikins wouldn’t hurt a fly. If you are in an area in which livestock are (and strange dogs) KEEP THEM ON A LEAD.
Just because you live somewhere doesn’t mean you are from somewhere. So ‘from Sandown’ might mean a third home address for a lady whose dog messes the streets every half term. Easter, and Christmas holidays. Normal Island folk, with our strange non blended accent, straws dangling from our gobs, gobs which forty years later lament the loss of The Royal Sandrock Hotel at Niton… Oh, whatever.
What is it with some dog owners. I saw one yesterday down at Quarr Abbey. Sheep on one side of a barbed wire fence and some moronic dog owner other side. She is going look its a sheep with the dog right up to the fence. No idea the sheep won’t budge because it’s terrified.
Hope you spoke to her. The more these morons are challenged, the better.
A decent act, paying to reimburse the farmer, but…..why did the woman not keep her dog on a lead in the first place. The poor sheep would still be alive if she had been more responsible.
The Real Sunshine = The echo in the room
I think it’s terrible to think about what would have happened to his pet sheep next month if this hadn’t happened 🙁
Hardly be off to slaughter house. No win for sheep
I’d say it’s the majority of dog owners are irresponsible ( way too many dogs lose everywhere you go – parks/fields/beach) and only a minority who understand what keeping a dog on lead when out in public means! ie: less dog attacks / control over the dog…..what will it take to get those self absorbed people who think ” my dogs ok, only wants to play” etc etc to learn you cannot trust your dog 100%
Stop talking out your backside.
speak for your self mate we have a dog who is always on a lead don’t paint every dog owner with the same tar brush thanks
Don’t forget the retard dog owners with their mobile crapping machine on their 20′ “lead”, they have no actual control and if the dog crosses in front of someone it could result in a nasty fall plus they have no idea what the animal is doing as it trails yards behind them hence dog mess on pavements.
i know dogs are not banned from Ryde beach for a couple of weeks but it is nice weather and children are playing on the beach whilst entitled dog owners use it as their personal dog toilet, five owners fined £100 each last year so lets hope the wardens are out this year and fine a lot more.
£300 should be more considering the pain and fear the sheep suffered before it’s death.
She should be banned for life for keeping dogs
totally agree
Keep the dogs on a lead it’s simple and clean up after them we all want to walk in the country side
Any lamb chops going cheap?Can you drop some round please?
More bad dog owners on the Isle of Wight.
All dog owners should know it is Spring and lambing season started some weeks back. If you live near sheep you need to keep them on leads, sometimes they can just die from stress related shock if a dog decides to chase them. It used to be if a dog attacked a sheep then the farmer had the right to kill the dog there and then, not sure if this law still applies. Good on this lady for coming to arrangement with farmer concerned.
It was honorable of the dog owner to take full responsibility and pay the required amount.
Yes but a pity she didn’t take responsibility beforehand and keep her dog on a lead around livestock. Brainless dog owner.