Cattle news

From The Daily Mail:

* Sharon Eley, 51, was surround by 20 cows who headbutted her in a brutal attack in the Lancashire countryside.
* She was walking through the countryside with her dog and a friend when they encountered violent animals
* Her injuries included 15 broken ribs, a punctured lung, shattered ankle and broken clavicle and severe bruises
* A keen and experienced walker, Sharon spent a month in hospital and underwent two surgeries to repair ankle
* She is now urging others to be wary when they cross fields with cows in them so they may avoid the same fate

Don't cross fields with cows in them, full stop. And what's often fatal is having a dog with you, especially if there are calves present, which there were in this case.

Her companion warned her about this: "It was only when they entered the second field that they spotted the 20 cows, including calves, huddled together around 20ft away. 'My friend said to me 'oh God I'm not sure about this Sharon' and I said 'it's ok, we'll just wide berth them,' Ms Eley said. 'Don't worry, don't run, it's all good, just stand behind me, don't worry about it'."

And this year's Spanish bull runs were a huge success, from the bulls' point of view. From the BBC:

Three men have died in 24 hours from wounds suffered during bull-running festivals in eastern Spain. They had all taken part in the Valencia region's traditional bous al carrer (bull-running), when bulls charge through towns, often with people running ahead of them.

Animal rights groups have long complained of the dangers for the public as well as the animals. They say 20 people have died in the region in the past eight years.

Daily Mail firing on all cylinders

The Daily Mail sticks the house price straight into the headline to save its readers the bother of reading the article:

Grandfather’s five pet pugs who nipped at postman as he delivered a parcel to his £800,000 home are spared being put down after court hears he had Beware of the Dog sign up

"Couple injured after being attacked by cow in the Yorkshire Dales"

Via @AmbushPredator, from The Yorkshire* Post:

The man and woman, aged in their 50s, were walking near Starbotton in Upper Wharfedale when the incident happened at 3pm on Wednesday. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance landed but was not needed and the couple were taken to hospital by road ambulance with cuts and bruises...

In May, an 82-year-old man from Lancashire was killed by cows when he and his wife, 78, were attacked by the herd while they were walking their dogs near Ribblehead Viaduct in the Dales. The woman was not seriously injured. The cattle had calves with them.

On July 19, a couple were 'trampled' by cows while walking through a field near Huggate in the Yorkshire Wolds. One had to be airlifted to hospital.

* Southerners please note, it is not pronounced York-sheer or York-shire, it is pronounced York-shuh, the emphasis in on the first syllable.

"Berserk herd of cattle trampled a woman, 87, to death while she was ..."

You guessed it, from The Daily Mail, "... walking her dog".

I'd also assume that from an evolutionary point of view, the cows' behaviour was entirely rational, shaped as it is by millions of years of wolves snatching their calves.

"Woman fighting for her life and dog killed after cows trample on them"

From The Mirror, via @ambushpredator:

Woman fighting for her life and dog killed after cows trample on then

They really ought to put warnings on tins of dog food, include this in a leaflet when you buy a puppy and every dog training manual and explain it again in the ad breaks during broadcasts of Crufts.

Another one of those "cow attacks dog-walker" incidents

From Cornwall Live:

A mum-of-two said she thought she was going to die as a cow charged at and then repeatedly stamped on her.

Sharyn Partridge is now urging people to be on their guard after she was “battered” by the animal in Clearbrook, near Yelverton, on Saturday afternoon. Sharyn was left with significant bruising and said that a stranger called Dave, who scared the animal away when he pulled up in his van, saved her life..

And what triggered the attack..?

Tesco worker Miss Partridge, from Barne Barton, was returning to her car after taking her 12-year-old Jack Russell Suki for a walk when the drama unfolded...

“On the other side of the road I could see this black and white cow and a baby black cow coming up. They were trailing behind the others. She was making a noise and then a brown cow turned up. She was obviously calling the other cows. I thought I should just stand still with the dog.”

A few seconds later, the cow charged towards the helpless mum...

Very worrying.

From Farmer's Weekly:

A new campaign aims to raise awareness among dog owners of the devastating effects of livestock worrying, which is on the rise according to official figures.

The three-month campaign, led by Police Scotland in association with NFU Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates and other authorities, has been launched to coincide with the spring lambing period, when sheep are most at risk...

Dog attacks on livestock: The worrying facts

• More than 18,500 livestock were killed or injured in dog attacks in 2015.

• The South West has the highest number of livestock-worrying incidents in each of the past three years where attacks rose by almost 60% in 2015...

The simplest solution is to put cows and sheep in the same field. If the dogs go after the sheep, the cows will go after the dogs (or their owners).

Sorted.

"Dog walker trampled by cattle escapes with cuts and bruises after teenagers helped to distract animals"

From The Daily Mail:

A dog walker who was trampled by a herd of cows says she owes her life to quick-thinking teenagers.

Sharn Thomas, 59, spent two days in hospital with severe abdominal bruising, 'hoof prints' on her body, a deep gash on her groin and a haematoma after the ordeal.

She was taking a well-used short cut through a field when the herd of cattle charged and trampled her in Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales.

But a group of youngsters witnessed the attack and rushed to the rescue, managing to distract the cows long enough for Sharn to get to safety and receive urgent medical attention.

I'd say that is about as typical as it gets for a 'cow attack' story - walking a dog across a field full of cattle. Ho hum. Well done, that 'group of youngsters' though!

"Holidaymaker trampled to death by herd of cattle while walking across field with his wife..."

... and two dogs"

Peter Jakeman, 62, who was visiting the area from his home town in Callington, Cornwall, was walking across a field on the Okeover Estate in Ashbourne when the tragedy unfolded.

Mr Jakeman, described as 'one of nature's gentlemen', was treated for blood loss and chest injuries after the stampede took place...

On average, one person per year is killed by cattle in the UK, with nearly 500 hurt in attacks by animals from 2005 to 2013.

It is thought attacks usually take place due to dogs being present or calves being in the field when walkers approach.

The British Mountaineering Council said dogs should be kept on a lead and, if cattle appear unsettled, walkers should move away as carefully and quietly as possible.

A spokesman said if people feel threatened they should let go of their dog's lead - if they are holding one - and try not to make any noise orfast movements.

"Please do not touch or distract me. I am working."

A chap got off the Tube this morning accompanied by a guide dog. The dog had a large notice attached to its harness bearing the message "Please do not touch or distract me. I am working."

After one awkward incident years ago*, I always leave them in peace to get on with it (I think that the chap was perfectly sighted and was training the dog rather than being blind himself, but the dog isn't supposed to know that) but I was sorely tempted to congratulate him for the most excellent sign.

* I was walking along the pavement towards a lady who was waiting patiently for her guide dog to make up its mind to cross a road. Only it wasn't a road, it was just somebody's driveway that was wide enough to look like a road.

"You'll be all right," I said helpfully, "It's not a road, it's just somebody's driveway."

The lady looked up at me and gave me a very black look. She was of course a sighted guide dog trainer and the last thing she wanted was for her careful training schedule to be ruined by well-meaning members of the public.

"Kirkwood pack members admit dog fighting charges"

From the BBC:

Three members of an east Belfast dog pack have admitted animal cruelty offences described by the police and USPCA as among the most serious they have seen.

Buster, a bull terrier, and his sons Corky and Wizard, all from Island Street, admitted attacking cats and other animals in their neighbourhood.

They also pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to four puppies. Jasper, an English Mastiff from McAllister Court, pleaded guilty to similar charges.

The investigation into the pack's activities began more than two years ago when video footage was recovered from a mobile phone. One clip showed dogs attacking a badger. In another, the same dogs set on a cat that they had trapped in a cage, tearing it to pieces.

A police officer welcomed the animals' guilty pleas and said pets and wildlife should contact them if they had suspicions about such activity.

The judge's order that the four dogs be put down has been suspended pending an appeal to the European Court of Animal Rights.

"Nurse in intensive care after being trampled by a herd of cows while taking part in hi-tech sat-nav treasure hunt"

Spotted by James Higham in The Daily Mail.

It's a fantastic headline, but what actually triggered the attack was the same old low-tech animal companion:

Sarah Leonard was walking in a field with her dog in North Scarle, Lincolnshire, when the group of animals charged, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.

"Dog walker seriously ill in hospital after being trampled by herd of cows"

From The Daily Mail:

A man has been hospitalised after being trampled by a herd of cows while he was out walking his dog in the countryside.

Emergency services were called to a field in St Neots, Cambridgeshire last night and rushed the man to hospital.

The patient, said to be in his 60s, was badly injured in the accident and required specialist treatment at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

"Dog walker critically ill after angry cow SAT on top of her"

Emailed in by JuliaM, from The Soaraway Sun:

A DOG walker was in a critical condition today after she was barged by a stampeding cow — which then SAT on top of her.

Terrified Emma Moody was crossing a field when her dog disturbed a herd and their young calves. One of the cows charged at her and she ran but tripped and fell into its path in St Martin, Cornwall. The cow then trampled and then rolled on her — breaking most of her ribs and leaving her with severe chest injuries.

A Navy search and rescue helicopter from nearby RNAS Culdrose was dispatched to the farm where crews found her lying badly hurt in a meadow...

Cows with young calves? Check.

Walker with dog? Check.

That's all you need to more or less guarantee a cow attack.

By-Tor and The Snow Dog*

* Minus By-Tor plus the little lass who made him.

"Man is run over and killed by his dog"

From The Daily Mail:

A man was killed after his dog pressed down on the accelerator of his car and ran him over.

James Campbell, 68, had got out of his car to open metal gates at the driveway to his Florida home when the accident happened. As he stood by the gates his pet bulldog jumped into the well of the driver's seat and pressed down on the accelerator. The vehicle surged backwards and trapped him under its wheels.

The victim's partner 56 year old Iris Fortner had desperately tried to stop the car before it backed into Campbell. She was in the driver's seat but was unable to prevent the accident.

Wot? She admits to being in the driver's seat but "the dog did it"? Presumably the same dog which always "ate her homework".

All in all, sounds like a likely tail to me.

"Wiltshire woman trampled to death by cows"

From the BBC:

A woman walking her dog in a field of cows in Wiltshire appears to have been trampled to death by the animals, an ambulance service has said.

Great Western Ambulance Service said it was called at 08:38 BST by someone who had found the woman, believed to be in her 70s. Wiltshire Police said "there do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances" surrounding the death in a field in Chippenham.

The woman's dog was also injured*. Arrangements were made by emergency services for a vet to treat the dog.

Look, I'm not a health and safety nutcase or anything, but remember the basic equation: cows + dog = high risk of death or serious injury.

* It's unusual for the dog to be injured, they normally scamper away once they have led their owners into danger.

'Walkers gave me a Mars bar and saved my life'

From The Westmoreland Gazette

A COAST to coast walker has spoken of his horror after nearly dying during a cow attack in Eden...

He was knocked over by four cows in a field at the edge of Shap. The 48-year-old said if it was not for the help of the Australian walkers and the emergency services he could have died. He was on the third day of his 191-mile walk when the ‘ambush’ happened.

“They were looking at me and I was looking at them but I am always wary of the animals and try to keep my distance," said Mr Gregory. “I saw them coming at me at quite some speed. I let go of my dog's lead – he was panicking. They knocked me down, I lay on my side in a little ball. One cow then stamped on my head; it then stamped on my back.”

The animals went on to kick the experienced walker several times. He was only saved when the cows redirected their attack to Mr Gregory's border collie, Max.

HM Government proposes something with which I agree: Shock

From The Metro:

Owners of dangerous dogs which attack members of the public will receive tougher penalties. This could include up to 18 months in prison, as the government sets out new guidelines to clamp down on irresponsible animal owners...

Good stuff.

It strikes me that there's no reason why dog owners are not vicariously liable for absolutely everything their dogs do: if the dog bites someone, the owner should be charged and sentenced as if he had bitten that person; if the dog behaves in such a manner as to make people scared for their safety, the owner should be charged with assault; if a dog kills someone, the owner should be tried for murder, and so on. This saves us the faff of deciding which breeds of dogs are inherently "dangerous" or not (itself a nonsensical exercise as all dogs are the same species).

It's no different to treating somebody's car as an extension of the owner/driver, if you knock somebody down, there's not much point pleading that it wasn't you, it was the car etc.

"Terror in Richmond Park"

It appears that unlike cattle, deer play the ball and not the man:

From the Evening Standard:

A dog owner told today how his beloved pet was trampled and kicked by a deer in Richmond Park...

"The matriarch of the group came charging towards me within seconds so I ran sideways behind a tree and she diverted her attentions to the dog, who fortunately for me was off the lead. Sadly, he didn’t run fast enough so she kicked him and then proceeded to trample him. I could hear him yelping but wasn’t going to go near him because I knew she’d just do the same with me.

"After a 30-second, 45-second onslaught where she used him as a football I was able to call him over to me and we legged it with her in pursuit."

Richmond deer: a much classier animal that yer average cattle, who would have gone after the slower moving human while the canine disappears into the distance.