Hello everyone,
I would like to know if anyone has had any experience with what I'm about to write and interested with the outcome.
As most of you know as I mention it often, there is a big walkway and fields the back of our house than runs the length of the estate - and takes up a lot of it. Well this last week I have been told numerous times of how someone has been laying baited foods, presumably for the foxes, but from I've been told so far it has also claimed 4 dogs' lives.
There are foxes up here (as there are everywhere) and by the stink by some of the bushes you know they're there, so presumably this food is being placed inside the bushes along the walkway.
Things like this make me so sad and angry! But, where would I find it in 'black and white' how the law reacts to such acts?
I've reported it to the council and have had contact with the Senior Principal Environmental Health Officer, who has asked me for more details as he needs to pass more on to the Press Office too.
I'm telling every dog owner I come across and its being passed on - many already know so word gets round quick which is good. And anyone with a dog that ventures by bushes who's off lead I make sure they know and most owners are putting them back on!
Anyway, has anyone had any dealings with such things and have I done and doing as much as I can about it?
Other than putting signs on the lamposts I think I have.
michael s said: No excuse for poisoning but it is surely anti social to have dogs off of lead especially now nesting is near.
No excuse for poisoning but it is surely anti social to have dogs off of lead especially now nesting is near.
There are no rules and restrictions for having dogs off leads (the last time was during the foot and mouth epidemic). I'm not overly keen on dogs being off leads myself, being a Westie Bobby isn't very big and doesn't like dogs jumping all over him. And I'm not a fan dogs who don't do what they're told being off, but that's different.
The birds have always done ok her, and to be honest considering what is going on, dead dogs and cats (and probably a few foxes!) is more of an issue.
We can do our utmost best to get this poisoning business stopped and the culprit caught, but we can't make people put their dogs on leads.
Ohhhhhhhh poison makes me soooooo crosssss - it's indiscrimanate and non-specific!!!
I have to make a few comments re my bakcground here else I may well get into trouble for what I am about to say.
1. I was brought up on a farm and one year we lost over 75 hens a night over 3 nights to a fox. In farming that sort of financial loss is hard to "absorb".
2. I do NOT beleive that if you are going to "deal" with such problems it should involve suffering to any creature even the one involved.
3. We NEVER allowed the local hunt on our land.
4. If ppl are allowed by law and need to deal with such problems it should be quick and painless. For the above mentioned fox we built a "hide" and sat up with guns and shot it, it did not know anything about it. We also used to shoot the rats rather than poison them.
To lay posion down is the worst case scenario, ANYTHNG can take it, anything, a cat can take a rat or mouse that died from poisoning, what about anything else that may take the food???? How callous!!!
Well done to you for taking this on. the signs are a brilliant idea - we did something similar round here when someone decided it might be "interesting" to lay broken glass down in the dogwalkers regular park. We did not get a lot of support from council etc but word of mouth prevented injuries (one but more than enough).
You go for it!!! I do hope you get somehwere. Thank you for caring
Lyndsey
I didn't get to be stupid by being blonde, I was stupid enough to pay to be blonde!!!