Was I interfering or right to phone the Police

[Cats_pyjamas]

Popped up the local woods (public land) for a spin on the MTB, part of these backs onto a farm.

I had just got to the top of a track when a discovery hoons it into a field. Driver gets out with a shotgun. Drags an old dog out of the back, and into a bit of a nook on the field and boom.

I wasn't 100% sure it was a dog due to the way he man handled it out of the disco. He then bombed it off, so I jumped the fence and sure enough an old Labrador type dog.

About 5 minutes later he came back with a youngish collie, again boom. He then put the carcasses in the front of a Tele handler bucket (another guy was driving this following the disco for the second killing).

What struck me was how rushed it seemed, the lack of empathy and the use of a shot gun rather than rifle. As well as the fact it was within 30m of public land, which is regularly used by horse riders, dog walkers, kids and mountain bikers.

I did report it to the police, but should I have kept my nose out?

Edited by Cats_pyjamas on Sunday 24th March 19:37

[Robertb]

I think you were right to report it, sounds like very suspect activity.

People who are cruel to animals deserve to be shoved head-first down a well.

[vaud]

You did the right thing.

You aren't passing judgement, you are just reporting the use of a gun on two dogs near a public place.

Let the police investigate and make their decision.

[chippy348]

I would have reported it, no qualms, sounds very suspicious

[Hackney]

chippy348 said:

I would have reported it, no qualms, sounds very suspicious

Agree. 100%

[TVRnutcase]

Robertb said:

I think you were right to report it, sounds like very suspect activity.

People who are cruel to animals deserve to be shoved head-first down a well.

Slightly suspicious activity - no need to make it look like a criminal actifivty.


But if a dog is suffering and end of life - Is it cruel to put it out of its misery? - shotgun though is a little more messy than a rifle at close range.

[119]

Doesn’t matter now as you have reported it.

But it does sound odd as they normally would just do it on the farm, unless there were/are kids present.

Edited by 119 on Sunday 24th March 19:52

[CoreyDog]

Definitely would have reported that.

You saw something which many would consider suspicious or cruel, up to the Police/CPS if any laws broken but at least they can investigate because you reported it.

[Masiv]

It's quite common policy on farms to shoot dogs if they are no use to them.

I know because I volunteer to rescue Border Collie.

[Caddyshack]

I think a lot of countrymen, hunters and the like believe that they should be one to end the dogs life if it needs to be done rather than a vet. I have met farmers who are the same. Seems odd that two would need to be euthanised but maybe their owner died and that is what they wanted, seems odd to me but some walks of life are very different.


That said, I think it was right to report it.

[Sheepshanks]

Caddyshack said:

I think a lot of countrymen, hunters and the like believe that they should be one to end the dogs life if it needs to be done rather than a vet. I have met farmers who are the same. Seems odd that two would need to be euthanised but maybe their owner died and that is what they wanted, seems odd to me but some walks of life are very different.


That said, I think it was right to report it.

A colleague who was brought up on a farm had to shoot his own dog after it was accused by another farmer of attacking his sheep. He didn't believe it, as the dog has been amongst sheep all its life, but it had done missing for a couple of hours. Other farmer stood there while he did it.

[Kwackersaki]

I worked with a guy who was married to a farmer’s daughter. He said the father in law had shot his old dog when it was on its last legs. It was a Jack Russell and he used a shotgun.

God knows what a mess that must have made!

[XCP]

Kwackersaki said:

I worked with a guy who was married to a farmer’s daughter. He said the father in law had shot his old dog when it was on its last legs. It was a Jack Russell and he used a shotgun.

God knows what a mess that must have made!

Rabbits and Pheasants are shot with shotguns. I suspect that most farmers own a shotgun. Many many more than own a rifle.

[popeyewhite]

XCP said:

Kwackersaki said:

I worked with a guy who was married to a farmer’s daughter. He said the father in law had shot his old dog when it was on its last legs. It was a Jack Russell and he used a shotgun.

God knows what a mess that must have made!

Rabbits and Pheasants are shot with shotguns. I suspect that most farmers own a shotgun. Many many more than own a rifle.

I know a farmer that dispatched his old collie with a shotgun. Wasn't the first time he'd shot an old working dog, but he knew exactly what he was doing ending the dog's misery. Farm life huh. I've no doubt a vet would have performed the same task, the only difference being the exchange of a ridiculous amount of money.

One other thing - often working farm dogs are not 'pets', they live outside and are often nearly feral. They are only loyal to their master and a vet would possibly get bitten.

[Jamescrs]

Whilst unpalatable for a lot of people this type of thing does go on in the farming community and will be more common than many realise.

The only thing a little odd is two dogs being shot at the same time.

I can well imagine the farmer did it where he did to be as far away from the family as possible

[popeyewhite]

Jamescrs said:

The only thing a little odd is two dogs being shot at the same time.

I imagine parvo or some other disease was suspected.

[Forester1965]

Not sure there's any regulation preventing a farmer (or anyone else not undertaking licensable activities (e.g. breeders/boarders)) from euthanising their animal. Imagine rules around not causing undue suffering etc. apply.

[XCP]

Vet's have been known to euthanise injured deer at the roadside with a shotgun.

[popeyewhite]

XCP said:

Vet's have been known to euthanise injured deer at the roadside with a shotgun.

Very James Herriot!

[Somewhatfoolish]

Shooting a dog will not cause it suffering if done sensibly. In a way handling it roughly may be because of the love for the poor thing, it is very traumatic to kill a dog. But OP trust your judgement - if it didn't feel right then it wasn't.