Family Yorkie is pecked to death by seagulls but mum is told: Don’t harm them
A FAMILY whose dog was pecked to death by seagulls nesting on their roof has been warned not to try to move them because they are a protected species.
But Emily Vincent now fears her four young children are not safe to play in their back garden after the savage attack on Yorkshire terrier Roo.
The tiny dog had been playing outside when herring gulls swooped down from their nest and started attacking him. He managed to escape to the kitchen but was found by Mrs Vincent lying in so much blood she said it looked like a ‘murder scene’.
She rushed him to the vet but the eight-year-old pet had to be put down after suffering brain damage. Despite the severity of the attack, Cornwall Council has told Mrs Vincent the law prohibits her from getting rid of the gulls.
The 36-year-old, who lives in the village of St Columb Minor with children, Jessie, one, Jace, three, Jasmine, nine and Jade, 14, said: ‘When we got back from the vets I wanted to take it further. I took pictures of the blood and contacted the council to find out what rights I had about getting rid of the nest. I could not get a straight answer from anyone but I was eventually told the seagulls are protected and I must leave the nest alone. It could have been my child that was hurt and there is nothing I can do about it.’
Mrs Vincent, who also has two Maltese terriers, Millie and Louis, added: ‘My other two dogs are too scared to go into the garden. We will not let the children or the dogs out in the garden unless we are with them. There should be more done to protect people and their pets.
‘Roo was like another child to me. The whole family is grieving. It has been horrific.’
The incident happened last Thursday and comes after a chihuahua puppy was killed in a seagull attack in Honiton, Devon, in May. There has been a 50 per cent decline in herring gull numbers over the past 30 years, and they were added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in 2009, giving them the highest conservation priority, with urgent action deemed necessary to protect the species.
Devon and Cornwall Police warned the protection covering herring gulls includes the birds, their nests, eggs and chicks. Shooting or poisoning seagulls carries a maximum fine of £5,000 and six months in prison.
Wildlife crimes officer PC Paul Freestone said: ‘As soon as a gull lays down just a few bits of material to start a nest, that nest is protected.’
The gulls are notorious for swooping on unsuspecting visitors to the seaside and snatching food out of their hands.
RSPB spokesman Tony Whitehead said parent gulls had a ‘real issue with personal space’ when nesting and when chicks are learning to fly. ‘If you have an anxious gull parent to contend with, the best advice is to walk with an umbrella up.’
‘The whole family is grieving’