Appeal to dog owners over attacks on animals
‘Stick to the rules’ is the message from Dartington Estate after increase in killings,
DOG owners are being reminded to abide by rules to keep their pets on a lead at all times at a popular Devon country estate following a rise in animal killings.
More signs have been put up on the Dartington Estate, near Totnes in south Devon, following a number of incidents in recent months in which it is believed dogs chased and killed animals.
Dartington Trust has confirmed dog owners have always been required to put their pets on leads in all areas of the estate, except Aller Park field, to protect deer, livestock, birds and other wildlife.
The reinforcement of the rules is due to a rise in the number of attacks on deer and sheep.
A spokesperson for the trust said: “We know from talking to our visitors that they care about wildlife and conservation as much as we do and most people are happy to respect this request.”
Farmers say the combination of recent lockdowns and a rise in firsttime dog ownership has meant that there are many more walkers in the countryside, some of whom do not realise the harm their pets can cause.
Jon Perkin, who farms on the estate, estimates he deals with one incident every week, which also include vandalism and people playing with their pets in crop fields.
“It’s a mixture of people who don’t understand and a few who don’t care,” he said.
“It’s not always dogs attacking sheep. If ewes are chased when they are heavily pregnant, there’s a chance they will abort their lambs.”
He stressed that the vast majority of visitors to the estate were considerate to all the tenants and farmers who leased land there to produce food.
However, he said he had been shocked at how some people behaved towards him when he approached them.
“I have been hit with sticks, I have had stones thrown at me and I have been spat at,” he said.
“This is not about who owns what. It’s about my livelihood. If I lose sheep and lambs or people trample
I have been hit with sticks, I have had stones thrown at me and I have been spat at
JON PERKIN
on my crops, that’s a drop in my income.”
Mark and Victoria Heyes, of Wild Hart Venison, look after two deer herds at the estate and one at nearby Bovey Castle.
When not in lockdown, they run visitor experiences and produce a variety of venison products.
Despite signs asking walkers to keep their animals under control, they have lost two deer in as many months. One was brought down in the field and the other was run into a fence and broke its neck.
“I am really concerned because soon our deer will have fawns and they won’t stand a chance against the dogs,” said Mark.
“I’m not sure whether it is new owners who don’t realise they need to keep their dog on a lead or if people just don’t think their dog would do something like that.
“The difficulty is that any dog can get into a frenzy once it starts to chase, then instinct takes over and it’s impossible to stop them.”
Recent figures from the National Sheep Association show a significant increase in the number of attacks in the past 12 months – with over 90 per cent of farmers reporting a problem compared with around 70 per cent three years ago.