Latest news with #dogattacks
BBC News
17-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Wildlife trust tells dog owners to keep pets on leads at reserves
Dog owners have been warned to keep their pets on leads at nature reserves after a series of incidents where dogs have attacked people and Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire put out the caution after a sheep was killed by a loose dog at Pegsdon Hills nature reserve in Bedfordshire, despite signage stating dogs must be kept on leads at all times. It added the Nene Valley Special Protection Area (SPA), which covers the Nene Wetlands, Summer Leys and Titchmarsh nature reserves, has employed an officer to engage with dog walkers. Matt Jackson, the trust's conservation director, said: "No-one deserves to feel fear at work or on a nature reserve." "Our conservation officers are simply doing their job and visitors are enjoying these special places," he added. Other incidents include a small dog being killed by a larger dog at Trumpington Meadows in Cambridge, a person being bitten by a dog at Beechwoods Nature Reserve near Cambridge and a reserve officer injured by a dog at Waresley Wood. A study carried out in the Nene Valley found dogs let off the lead were four times more likely to cause a disturbance to dogs on leads. It also found that out of 619 incidents, dogs off the lead were the most common cause of bird disturbances and there had been areas on the reserve where birds had not nested despite it being a good habitat. When sharing the news of the sheep found dead at the Pegsdon Hills reserve, Mr Jackson said it caused distress to staff members. He said: "It's the latest in a line of similar incidents and has caused distress for staff members who work hard to care for these animals and the reserve."He said while responsible dog walkers were welcome, the reserves were for wildlife and people to enjoy. He said: "We're wildlife conservationists and we love all animals, many of us have dogs of our own... our rules state clearly that all nature reserves - aside from a small number of designated areas - are for dogs on leads only, at all times of the year." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire or BBC Suffolk.
RNZ News
15-07-2025
- RNZ News
Roaming dogs: Council wants more powers to deal with problem
Animal management officers need more power to detain dogs after an attack had happened, Auckland Council has heard. File photo. Photo: 123RF Councils need more control over managing dog-related issues from the government, Auckland Council says. Several measures to tackle the problem of roaming and uncontrolled dogs in the Auckland region were proposed at the council's Regulatory and Safety Committee meeting on Tuesday. These included fencing requirements for dog owners and mandatory desexing for impounded dogs before they are returned to their owners. Licensing and compliance general manager Robert Irvine said animal management officers also needed more power to detain dogs after an attack had happened. But he said these changes could not happen without legislative change. "The council is doing everything it can to tackle this issue from multiple angles, but without legislative reform, we are always going to be limited. "The changes we are proposing make good common sense and would greatly improve our ability to protect Aucklanders from dog-related harm. They would not affect the majority of dog owners, who we know are responsible." The council's animal management unit received 16,739 reports of roaming dogs in the past year. There were 1341 reports of dog attacks on people and 1523 on other animals in that period. But Irvine said ACC claim data showed the actual number of dog attacks was much higher. "Most serious dog attacks on children happen in the family home and go unreported to the council, meaning we have no ability to investigate. "Introducing mandatory reporting would allow us to intervene and put measures in place to prevent attacks from happening again." Regulatory and Safety Committee chair Councillor Josephine Bartley said stricter rules around fencing and desexing were much needed. "Most dog owners in Auckland are responsible and do the right thing, but there is a group that just doesn't seem to care. Their actions are putting our communities at risk, particularly our tamariki." The council said it had already done targeted free desexing and registration drives, public awareness and education campaigns, and opened a new adoption and education centre in Pukekohe which had increased shelters capacity to hold dangerous dogs. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
MPs back move to protect llamas and alpacas from dog attacks
Llamas and alpacas should receive legal protections from dog attacks, MPs have agreed. Dog owners already face a fine if their pet attacks or worries farm animals listed in the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, such as cattle, sheep, pigs and horses. But after a Commons debate, MPs have agreed to add 'camelids' to this list, giving llamas and alpacas in England and Wales similar protections as they have in Scotland. The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, which now faces further scrutiny in the Lords at a later date, will also see unlimited fines rolled out in dog attack cases, lifting a £1,000 cap. 'They're no laughing matter, alpacas and llamas,' Labour MP Peter Lamb said. 'The Inca empire never developed the wheel. 'The entirety of that empire was built off the back of alpacas and llamas and, as a result, they are an animal that's worthy of great respect.' Mr Lamb said he had heard of 'pretty harrowing cases of what happened to that livestock' at a centre in Tilgate Park in Crawley, West Sussex, where he was the borough council leader. 'In one case, a sheep was just literally set on fire whilst still alive and while the Bill does not directly deal with that, I think some of the mentality that goes into disrespecting these animals is worthy of note,' he said. 'But what we have done is very often, far more often than that, had dogs set on these animals, or at least, people have not been in control of these. 'And we've eventually had to remove the sheep entirely from the publicly accessible areas on the basis of that.' Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury Aphra Brandreth, who proposed the private member's Bill, told the Commons: 'Livestock worrying, as we know, has devastating consequences for both animals and farmers.' She added: 'The damage of a livestock attack can be horrific, causing brutal injuries which are tragically often fatal. 'There are instances of stress causing pregnant livestock to miscarry, and separation of mothers and young leading to hypothermia or starvation. 'I've seen pictures from farmers in my constituency where attacks have mutilated their calves beyond any hope of keeping them alive. 'The consequences, no matter what the scale of an attack, are profound.' As part of the draft new law, authorities would get the powers to treat attacking livestock as separate to 'worrying', which includes chasing farm animals in a way which could cause injury, suffering or loss or 'diminution in their produce'. The Bill would also expand the 1953 Act's scope, which applies on agricultural land, to roads and paths, where animals might be herded. Labour MP Mike Reader praised Ms Brandreth for her 'responsible and balanced approach'. The Northampton South MP said it was 'positive that this expands that definition to roads and paths, because it sets clear requirements that when someone is accessing land, particularly throughout Northamptonshire where there're so many paths that run through farmland, there's a clear definition in the law to both protect farmers but also to set clear boundaries for those who are perhaps walking their dogs… when they access farmland'. Environment minister Emma Hardy said the Government was 'fully committed to supporting this important Bill as it progresses through the other place', before the Bill cleared the Commons at third reading.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Barnsley man who shared animal fight videos online detained
A man who posted videos on social media of his dogs attacking other animals has been sentenced to 20 months in a young offender's Bates ordered his dogs to attack deer, cats and wild birds before "boasting" about it online, South Yorkshire Police 20-year-old was arrested after a joint investigation into the videos by animal welfare charity Naturewatch Foundation and the of Darfield Road, Barnsley, was sentenced on Monday after he pleaded guilty to offences, including causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and causing an animal fight. The force said when Bates was arrested in May 2024 officers found a number of photos and videos on his phone of his dogs attacking animals on land in the South Elmsall area of West Yorkshire Police seized three dogs and other items relating to hunting from his home, including stolen 'no poaching' signs from nearby farming well as a sentence of detention Bates was also banned from having any contact with animals for 12 Insp Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "I welcome the sentence of Bates - quite simply, no animal is safe around him."The level of cruelty and suffering he has inflicted for gratification is deeply disturbing, I am sure the public with be quite rightly shocked by this case."I would like to thank South Yorkshire Police for a thorough investigation that has taken this animal abuser off the streets."Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MPs back move to protect llamas and alpacas from dog attacks
Llamas and alpacas should receive legal protections from dog attacks, MPs have agreed. Dog owners already face a fine if their pet attacks or worries farm animals listed in the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, such as cattle, sheep, pigs and horses. But after a Commons debate, MPs have agreed to add 'camelids' to this list, giving llamas and alpacas in England and Wales similar protections as they have in Scotland. The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, which now faces further scrutiny in the Lords at a later date, will also see unlimited fines rolled out in dog attack cases, lifting a £1,000 cap. 'They're no laughing matter, alpacas and llamas,' Labour MP Peter Lamb said. 'The Inca empire never developed the wheel. 'The entirety of that empire was built off the back of alpacas and llamas and, as a result, they are an animal that's worthy of great respect.' Mr Lamb said he had heard of 'pretty harrowing cases of what happened to that livestock' at a centre in Tilgate Park in Crawley, West Sussex, where he was the borough council leader. 'In one case, a sheep was just literally set on fire whilst still alive and while the Bill does not directly deal with that, I think some of the mentality that goes into disrespecting these animals is worthy of note,' he said. 'But what we have done is very often, far more often than that, had dogs set on these animals, or at least, people have not been in control of these. 'And we've eventually had to remove the sheep entirely from the publicly accessible areas on the basis of that.' Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury Aphra Brandreth, who proposed the private member's Bill, told the Commons: 'Livestock worrying, as we know, has devastating consequences for both animals and farmers.' She added: 'The damage of a livestock attack can be horrific, causing brutal injuries which are tragically often fatal. 'There are instances of stress causing pregnant livestock to miscarry, and separation of mothers and young leading to hypothermia or starvation. 'I've seen pictures from farmers in my constituency where attacks have mutilated their calves beyond any hope of keeping them alive. 'The consequences, no matter what the scale of an attack, are profound.' As part of the draft new law, authorities would get the powers to treat attacking livestock as separate to 'worrying', which includes chasing farm animals in a way which could cause injury, suffering or loss or 'diminution in their produce'. The Bill would also expand the 1953 Act's scope, which applies on agricultural land, to roads and paths, where animals might be herded. Labour MP Mike Reader praised Ms Brandreth for her 'responsible and balanced approach'. The Northampton South MP said it was 'positive that this expands that definition to roads and paths, because it sets clear requirements that when someone is accessing land, particularly throughout Northamptonshire where there're so many paths that run through farmland, there's a clear definition in the law to both protect farmers but also to set clear boundaries for those who are perhaps walking their dogs… when they access farmland'. Environment minister Emma Hardy said the Government was 'fully committed to supporting this important Bill as it progresses through the other place', before the Bill cleared the Commons at third reading.
