Michelle Stanford is disgusted with dog owners who fail to control their animals after more of her chickens were killed. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0539963)
A DOG has savaged special-breed chickens in Torteval after entering the owner’s garden.
Michelle Stanford, who lives at Trinity Cottages with partner Jamie Hooper, was horrified to find that three of her free-range birds had been killed.
‘We have heard it said that they are only chickens, but if the dog had attacked a pet cat, rabbit or, even worse, a child, there would be public outcry and calls to destroy it,’ she said.
A public footpath runs alongside the couple’s property and it is not the first time that dogs have killed their chickens. They have received no apology from the dog owner they branded responsible.
‘I wouldn’t dream of allowing my dogs to roam on someone else’s property,’ said Miss Stanford, a civil servant.
The incident happened between 8am and 10am on Tuesday.
The matter has been reported to the police, who have told the couple to catch any dog and keep hold of it should it happen again. The owner would then be liable to prosecution.
The dead hens were silkies. Miss Stanford had wanted some for many years and she bought the eggs from a Devon farm and looked after them for four weeks until they hatched.
The couple have placed numerous signs around their property to ensure dog owners are aware of the birds, but animals have still been allowed to jump the perimeter wall.
Miss Stanford said some dog owners had suggested they lock the birds up but she thought that was the same as telling someone who did not want his or her car vandalised not to buy one.
It is a dog owner’s responsibility to keep their animal under control and out of people’s property, she added. Other chicken keepers have lost birds in similar attacks.
‘Those who keep chickens know they have their own character and become valued pets,’ said Miss Stanford.
It has been suggested to her that she lives in the wrong place to keep chickens because it is a dog-walking area.
‘If the heart of Torteval is an inappropriate place to keep livestock, then nowhere in the island is suitable,’ she said. ‘In this small island, conflict of interest is inevitable but for a person to attempt to claim priority for dog walkers at Pleinmont shows just how selfish some people can be.’
The couple said they recognised that an irresponsible minority of dog owners caused the problem and that most kept control of their animal at all times.
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