Outrage over dog attack (From Stroud News and Journal)

Outrage over dog attack

A HERDSWOMAN has called for a change in the law after two of her animals were brutally savaged by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Helen Macdonald, 34, had to fight off the dog repeatedly with a stick when it attacked two of her pregnant alpacas Fluffy and Crystal on Tuesday, May 3.

To her horror, she later discovered the Alpacas were not protected under livestock legislation and police have admitted their hands are tied.

Both alpacas suffered injuries to the face and Crystal suffered injuries to her legs during the attack, which happened at Miss Macdonald's Alpaca farm in Chalford. Fluffy lost the use of her left ear.

"If these were sheep the owner would have been prosecuted," said Miss Macdonald. "But alpacas are not classed as livestock.

"These animals have only been in the country for about 10 years and the Act dates back to 1971, when you didn't even see them in zoos.

"We have to have some kind of protection for them."

Miss Macdonald recalled how she beat the dog over the head with a piece of wood to try and stop the attack.

"It all happened very quickly. We headed it off but it hung onto Crystal's leg as she sprinted across the field. We had to cut her out of the fence."

"It is lucky I was here at the time otherwise they could have died," she told the SNJ.

Neither of the animals are thought to have problems with their unborn young but now Miss Macdonald is calling for an update to the law.

The 10-strong herd is not protected by the Livestock Act despite costing as much as £4,500 each.

The dog owner was given a warning by police but constabulary spokesman Matt Ford admitted there was little police could do.

"It is definitely something of a loophole," he said. "We looked at several pieces of legislation and we were left in the position where none of them was really applicable.

"We advised the man involved about the control of his dog and warned him of the consequences in future if livestock or people are injured."

RSPCA spokesman Judith Haw said: "The onus is on dog owners to have their dogs under control if they are near sheep or any other sort of livestock."

Miss Macdonald has contacted Stroud MP David Drew to push for a change in the legislation.

Mr Drew said yesterday he was looking into it.