On the morning of Sunday 17 July, a dog was being walked off its lead when it jumped a barbed wire topped fence and ran into land containing the animals. Three of the alpacas – named Regency, Lily and Holly – were chased, resulting in one of them sustaining injuries which still require daily treatment four months later. The other two, which are 17 years old, are now struggling with mobility. “Sadly, everyone suffers when dogs attack livestock,” said Nigel Beckwith, owner of Herts Alpacas. “Farmers are left to pick up the pieces, both emotionally and financially, which can involve nursing injured animals indefinitely, or making the heart-breaking decision to euthanise. “Dog owners also risk losing their beloved companions, as farmers have the right to shoot a dog if it is attacking livestock. “All of this can simply be avoided if people are responsible and ensure their dogs are kept on leads, even if the land is fenced off and you trust your dog to come when called.” The dog’s owner, a woman aged in her 60s, was interviewed by police, cooperated fully and admitted responsibility for what had happened. She agreed to pay £2,000 in compensation. Nigel continued: “The dog’s owner was mortified by what happened. Until the day of the attack, her dog had always been totally trustworthy, had good recall and had never hurt anything. “Sadly, as this incident shows, no dog can be trusted 100% of the time and I would plead with dog owners to ensure their pets are kept on a lead.”
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