Farmer's dog threat fully backed by the law

This week, farmer Tracy Rumsey has reached the end of her tether with irresponsible dog owners after she found one of her sheep dead in a field with half its face torn away.

Defra’s Countryside Code is very clear on the point that dogs should always be kept on leads when being walked through fields containing livestock.

Nobody is saying dogs should be kept on leads the whole time - only where appropriate - so there’s nothing wrong in letting a dog run free in an empty field where there is no danger of upsetting say a flock of sheep or herd of cows.

Most farmers signpost fields containing livestock clearly to help prevent incidents such as a young ram being savaged to death.

However even if a dog is just being ‘playful’ it can cause un-necessary stress to farm animals which could cause them to lose condition and so harm the farmer’s business.

The farming community is quite rightly protective of its livelihood - and that includes animals - while upholding the public’s right to walk over their land on footpaths.

Tracy Rumsey has threatened to shoot any dog she feels is a danger to her livestock.

That might seem harsh to those who are unfamiliar with the ways of the countryside - but she and any other farmer who makes this choice is fully backed by the law.