Don’t worry the sheep, West Dorset dog owners warned

4:48pm Thursday 7th May 2009

By Rene Gerryts

DOG owners are being urged to look out for ewes and lambs while walking in the West Dorset countryside this spring.

The county council’s countryside service is reminding people of the serious dangers that even normally well-behaved dogs can pose to sheep.

And they warn that dogs can quite legally be shot by farmers if they are posing a threat to their livestock.

Officials say anyone walking a dog near sheep should take extra care on two counts – sheep worrying and damage caused to livestock by worms in dog faeces.

Sheep worrying is a serious issue that can endanger both animals’ welfare and farmers’ livelihoods.

While it is seen by some pet owners as their dog simply being ‘interested’ or ‘just wanting to play’, sheep see it quite differently.

Sheep are prey animals and their natural instinct is to run for their lives and get away from the predator.

Sheep will not distinguish between a wolf and any other breed of canine – they are hardwired to flee when faced with danger.

For pregnant ewes, this response can be catastrophic as the anxiety can cause them to miscarry.

A dog walker may not necessarily know that anything untoward has happened because they and their dog will be long gone by the time it does.

And dogs that have not been wormed can cause just as much suffering for the animal and the farmer.

Worms carried by dogs can infect farm livestock and humans, causing serious disease in all species.

But perhaps lesser known are the consequences for farm livestock, including emaciation and general loss of condition and damage to the liver, lungs and central nervous system.

A diseased animal’s carcass may be condemned at the abattoir when signs of disease are discovered, meaning loss of income for the farmer.

If people cannot avoid passing through a field where sheep are grazing, they must keep their dog under close control, which may mean on a lead, so as not to risk causing suffering to the sheep, loss to the farmer and, potentially, having your dog shot.

Dog owners are also reminded to worm their dog regularly and to bag and bin its faeces.

Dorset countryside access manager, Carmel Wilkinson, said: “The farmers I have spoken to were all happy for the public to walk their dogs on public rights of way in the countryside, but they want us to remember that the thoughtless behaviour of a few, not clearing up after their dogs and allowing them to chase sheep, can have serious consequences for their livestock and their livelihood.”

For further information, see the Countryside Code on line at:http://www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk