Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is adopting Operation Recall, a national initiative to tackle livestock worrying, to ensure the force is doing all it can to keep family pets safe, as well as farmers’ livestock. In 2023, national animal welfare charities, including Naturewatch Foundation and the RSPCA, joined forces with Police and the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) to raise awareness and help tackle the issue of livestock worrying, resulting in Operation Recall being born. Now, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is joining those national efforts and is calling on everyone to help stop such incidents. Livestock worrying is when a dog attacks or chases livestock on agricultural land or is at large in a field with livestock, which can result in significant injury or suffering and in the worst cases, death of the animals involved. This also has devastating consequences for livestock keepers, causing personal distress as well as significant financial costs. Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, it is a criminal offence for a dog to actively worry livestock and dog owners risk prosecution. Farmers can legally shoot and kill a dog if it is threatening livestock. Police Staff Investigator Andrew Williams, from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Country Watch team, has said:
“Sadly we do receive regular reports in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight of livestock worrying, including incidents of sheep and lambs being killed and seriously injured. “Shepherds report that they get a mixed response from dog owners when challenged, some are apologetic but others can be hostile. “We are fast approaching the Easter Holidays when we know people will be making the most of the open spaces our counties have to offer. I would like to remind dog owners that they must be mindful of livestock – even if they can’t see them – when out enjoying the countryside. I would also like to encourage all dog owners to ensure they have control over their dogs at all times and to seek training wherever possible. “Remember – protect your dog and protect livestock. It is your responsibility as an owner to keep your dog safe and keep your dog on a lead.”
Geoff Edmond, national wildlife co-ordinator at the RSPCA, has said:
“Whilst the vast majority of dog owners take care as a matter of course, sadly accidents can happen and even the most docile and obedient dogs can get distracted and excited by grazing animals. “Being chased by a dog causes the animals stress and anxiety, this can lead to pregnancy loss in livestock, and in some extreme cases, severe attacks can happen which have a devastating effect on the livestock, resulting in injury and even death. This also has an adverse impact on the farmers themselves, both in terms of their livelihood and the emotional toll of seeing their animals suffer. “Some actions in life, we can’t avoid. This one we can.”
Key points to bear in mind this time of year to help with the welfare of livestock and your dog:
- If you come across a sheep on its back, try to roll it over and raise the alarm with the farmer if this is possible.
- It is so important to keep dogs either on leads or under close control 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.
- It is a criminal offence for a dog to actively worry livestock. We want owners to be aware that in such instances, the owner or person in control of the dog can be prosecuted, and as a last resort the dog can be shot by the farmer to end an attack.
For more information on Operation Recall, visit https://naturewatch.org/campaigns/operation-recall/. ![Sign [2]](https://cdn.islandecho.co.uk/uploads/2024/03/Sign-2.jpg)
We cannot blame the dogs but we can blame the scum owners who show no consideration for anybody or
anything. It’s bad enough when walking the Red squirrel trail with dogs let of there leads and the scum owners shouting it’s o.k there friendly.
Bang the owners up
Again, not needed when local people lived here, soon as newcomers infiltrate then such becomes necessary. Too many modern thinking, or, perhaps non thinking, allow there dogs the same freedom as they do their offspring, insomuch as they can do as they please, so long as the parent, or more rarely, parents are not effected.
What a lovely society the leftist woke naive have created for us all.
If it had still been a LOCAL place for LOCAL people only, you’d all be marrying your cousins and the gene pool would have eaten itself, causing recessive genotypes. It’s called ENDOGAMY. look it up. And while you’re at it, count your toes.
Why do you think the Isle of Wight has the lowest school attainment levels in the whole of the UK? Inbreeding depression.
As a dog owner all J can say is, Shoot the dogs. After 6 or 7 have been shot owners will see what the price of irresponsible ownership really is.
Any dog owner who does not keep their dog on a lead should be
Fined heavily.
I thought this was just a Welsh campaign.
Need to remind dog owners to pick up after the dogs aswell
Bring back the dog licence….
Far too many dogs of inbred “design” that are owned by too many inbred owners.
Can you imagine just how much dog *hit that gets placed into the normal refuse collection which is in turn landfilled and that is not counting the mountains of crap that is bagged up in plastic and hung on trees and bushes by the devoted owners….
May I suggest we get all of the police officers to surround all of the sheep and lambs and sing them a few songs ? ..it would stop them worrying for sure…