Another cow incident

Tragic

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-19909801

Chippenham woman 'trampled to death by cows'

A woman is believed to have been trampled to death by cows while walking her dog in a field in Wiltshire.

Sandra Wiltshire, 68, from Chippenham, was found by Great Western Ambulance Service in the Monkton Park area of the town.

Paramedics attended the scene, near Riverside Drive, after being called out at about 08:40 BST.

Wiltshire Police said her injuries appeared to be "consistent with the lady having been trampled by a cow(s)".

Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Next of kin have been informed.

Mrs Wiltshire's dog was also injured and taken to a vet for treatment.

The field, on the banks of the River Avon, is not marked on maps as a public right of way.

'Draconian regime'
Ian Johnson, from the National Farmers' Union, said: "We don't know what happened here, but the farmer certainly wouldn't have put any livestock that he would have considered risky in a field he knew the public was going to have access to.

"He has kept, as far as I'm aware, livestock there for years without any incidents whatsoever."

He said: "What you don't want to see is a draconian regime where farmers are absolutely banning people, but at the same time people have to be aware the countryside is a working place, that animals have to be kept somewhere and potentially there can be a risk."

But Linda Herbert, from Calne, in Wiltshire, who suffered a fractured shoulder and ribs when she was trampled by a cow 10 days ago, urged people not to enter fields where cows are kept.

She said: "This brown cow was just charging me and the next thing I knew I was underneath her feet.

"She had lifted me off my feet and I was on the ground and she was stamping up and down on my chest.

"I thought at the time 'I'm going to die here'."

She added: "Don't ever, ever go in there because the risks are too great."

The Kennel Club advised people to keep dogs on a short lead when walking in fields with animals, and to unclip the lead if worried about an attack.

Very sad.

Having been on the receiving end of an angry herd of cows coming after me I will not step foot in a field with them.

Me neither, not when I have the dogs with me. It's the dogs they're after of course, but the human can get caught in the middle of a stampede, terrifying!

The biggest problem with dogs in a field with cows, especially if they have calves, is that the dog will run to their owners so even though the cows are going after the dogs, they get the owners too.

When we had some Highland cattle, a friend we knew came out when we were not home and started to walk his German Shepherd in the field. As the cows had calves he was just lucky to escape with no injuries when the cows chased his dog and the dog ran to him. Luckily he was near a fence so got away.

I have permission from our landlord to run the dogs in the fields even when his cattle are there. " They won't harm you.."

No way. The cattle here are tame ie come to the fence when I drive in etc, but that is as far as it goes with me.

last year ( and I walk the dogs very early as collie is a car chaser) I heard a yelp then a thud and then could not find wee dog for a half hour. I was frantic then she came running; and I realised there were four cows in my garden. Wee dog had tried to see them off; the yelp was when the cow threw her and the thud when she landed...

When the landlord arrived ( I phoned him and got him out of bed) I was holding these four critters at bay with the mop. The damage to my garden was appalling but deeply thankful wee dog was ok

Poor woman, very sad

I don't walk Max anywhere near cattle. I am used to them having lived next door to many for years but it is not worth the risk in my opinion. Generally the bullocks are just curious but a mum with a calf can be truly terrifying.

I have walked in this field, but I stay away when the cows are out, they should just be about to go in now for the winter, so can walk again.

Another woman (that is Linda) who walks in another area near me Cherhill, where I also walk had some fractures whilst walking her Rotties.

Really these people should know better.

It is not as if, in this area there are not MILLIONS of acres which are entirely livestock free, people are just to lazy to travel.

And another;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...927041?SThisFB

im not saying all attacks are the fault of the dog/ owners but some of the worst are,
i was going round the farm on the quad the other day with the dogs making sure the no cattle were having problems with the floods and i seen a german shepherd in the field, next thing i knew he started chasing a calf which resulted in me, marley, cheech, max (farm collie) and calves mum and auntie all giving chase, i managed to scare him off and the cows gave up the chase

i look for the owner and he was just stood watching the whole thing

I live in a large, semi-rural village (it's as big as a town, but apparently still classified as a village).

There are still some fields dotted in among the streets of houses, through which run public footpaths, very well-used by people of all ages including schoolchildren.

The farmer who rents these fields only puts in calves and young steers, however while they usually ignore humans, they have frequently shown more than a lively interest in Merlin.

I used to be quite intimidated until I took the NFU's advice and let him off lead, and saw something remarkable. His mother was a working sheepdog bought from a farm in the New Forest, and it seems he has inherited a great deal of innate herding ability.... to the extent that he stands his ground with cattle, barks them back, and does whatever is necessary to keep them at bay. I have seen him have a stand-off with one bolshy steer that wanted to butt him (after three attempts the steer gave up and trotted away); and I've also seen him do an outrun which bunched a group of steers together and prevented them from running towards us.

Ideally I would like him to ignore cattle, which I have now taught him to do. But if they do react, he shows real working talent.

I would not take him into a field with cows & calves present - fortunately the farmers round here don't put them into fields with public access.

Once we crossed a field on a public footpath, containing some young heifers - they put up their tails, bucked and chased him - he ran for his life and got under a gate. They weren't interested in me at all, but I wasn't far behind him and have never climbed a stile so quickly in my life!