A PETITION has been launched as famers and campaigners try to gather support for a new law to be introduced preventing dogs from being off the lead around livestock.

A campaign to introduce the law has begun following the death of Gladis, a four-year-old heavily pregnant Highland cow.

Gladis fell 40 feet to her death after being chased by two off-lead dogs at Eggardon Hill Farm, near Askerswell.

The group behind the campaign, including Gladis’ owner Cameron Farquharson and West Dorset MP Chris Loder ,want the law changed in order to give livestock more protection. The group is also working on educating dog owners.

Calls have been increasing for dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead whilst around livestock but attacks have continued to happen.

Currently it is a criminal offence for a dog to be ‘off a lead or not otherwise under close control’ in a field of livestock.

Campaigners want this changed so owners would have to put their dogs on a lead ‘whenever livestock is present’.

Sign the petition at www.gladis-law.com