Weymouth farmer in shock after day-old calf is butchered (From Dorset Echo)
When news happens get involved. Send your pictures, views and video to us by text and email
Weymouth farmer in shock after day-old calf is butchered
11:30am Wednesday 16th May 2012 in News By Samantha Harman
SADDENED: Farmer Doug Timms with Alexis, the cow whose calf was savagely killed
A SHOCKED farmer made a gruesome discovery when he found one of his day-old calves had been killed.
Doug Timms, of Wyke Regis, went to check on his herd in a nearby field yesterday morning to find that Bobby, a bull calf, had been disembowelled.
The calf’s ear had also been sliced off in the sickening attack.
Mr Timms said: “I was taking a bottle up to the field to make sure the calf had some milk and there it was, lying there with its mother standing over it.
“I was shocked. I feel most sorry for his mother, Alexis. She’s the one who carried him for nine months and now he’s gone.”
The calf, which was born on Monday afternoon was worth around £200.
The farmer owns 44 cattle with many recently calving in a birthing pen he set up.
Mr Timms, 66, of Castle Hill Road, added: “It makes me worry about the rest of the cattle. I’ve been working on this land for 50 years. I’ve farmed my cows here since 1977 and I worked for the landowner since I was a boy before that.
“In all that time I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never had anything like this happen before.
“This little one had only just managed to walk. The other cows can run like the wind but he couldn’t get away.”
Mr Timms believes that the attack was not caused by a dog even hough there was one in the area at he time.
He said the nature of the wounds led him to believe that a person carried out the attack.
However, he says people walking dogs have also led to problems in the area.
He said: “We put the cows up there in the field to keep them safe, out of the lanes and away from any animals. I’m worried it might happen again.
“A little while ago, someone told me they thought a cow was dead in one of the fields but when I went down there it was a badger.
“You could tell by the way it was savaged that an animal did it.
“I want to warn people not to bring their dogs over here. Fisher-men sometimes tell me they see a man with a lurcher in the fields.”
A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: “We received a call to say that a calf had been killed sometime on Monday night At the moment, we have no reason to believe it may have been anything other than a dog attack. The local PCSO is aware in case anything else occurs to make us think otherwise.”
Besides the hole in its stomach and missing ear, the calf appears to be relatively undamaged which has led to questions over what caused its death.
Mr Timms added: “The police said they can’t prove what’s done it, which I guess is fair enough.
“But I’m not sure what killed this calf. It’s the way the ear’s been cut clean off. Something’s just not right.”
CONTROL OF DOGS RULES
AN RSPCA spokesman said: “We don’t know if this calf’s death was the result of a dog attack but sadly they are all too common and the RSPCA is aware of livestock being killed and badly maimed by dogs which have not been kept under control by their owners.
"Responsible dog owners should keep their pets under control and if appropriate on lead around livestock, especially in the spring and summer months when there are lots of young about.
“If a farmer believes a dog is worrying his livestock, he is well within his rights to shoot it. It is therefore in the dog owner’s interest to keep their pet under control.”
Comments(24)
old-mo
says...
1:33pm Wed 16 May 12
JamesYoung wrote:I must have read the story with my glasses upside down, I read it as 9 months...
A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone".
Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?
Irrespective of when the calf went to market if that is the case.
Any dog found to be in a farmers field should be "SHOT".. even if they are with their owners.... plenty of other places to walk the $hit machines...
Bring back Dog licensing.... £50 or even £100 a year...
But Free for Guide dogs and perhaps OAP`s... most of them look after their dogs and clear up after them...
I'm-Tired
says...
2:35pm Wed 16 May 12
old-mo wrote:So old-mo your saying that anyone under the age of 60 does not look after their dog??!! And obviously not a dog lover then?! My partner and I work really very hard at training our dog, we take her to training classes, we ALWAYS pick up her 'mess', she is microchipped, wormed, flea'd, vaccinated, groomed daily, walked daily, fed proper healthy dog food, basically she is a well looked after dog so why should she be shot if we are following a footpath that goes into a farmers field, is on the lead and being well-behaved?! Once again the good dog owners are being dragged through the mud all because of bad dog owners and it makes my skin boil!! Don't tarnish us with the same brush, it's not fair!
JamesYoung wrote:I must have read the story with my glasses upside down, I read it as 9 months...
A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone".
Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?
Irrespective of when the calf went to market if that is the case.
Any dog found to be in a farmers field should be "SHOT".. even if they are with their owners.... plenty of other places to walk the $hit machines...
Bring back Dog licensing.... £50 or even £100 a year...
But Free for Guide dogs and perhaps OAP`s... most of them look after their dogs and clear up after them...
bandit1
says...
5:45pm Wed 16 May 12
old-mo wrote:What a stupid ignorant person you are, a total moron, people like you class everybody the same. You talk about **** machines you seem to be full of it! What a sad world it would be if everybody had an attitude like you.
JamesYoung wrote: A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone". Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?I must have read the story with my glasses upside down, I read it as 9 months... Irrespective of when the calf went to market if that is the case. Any dog found to be in a farmers field should be "SHOT".. even if they are with their owners.... plenty of other places to walk the $hit machines... Bring back Dog licensing.... £50 or even £100 a year... But Free for Guide dogs and perhaps OAP`s... most of them look after their dogs and clear up after them...
Lizzy Bennett
says...
6:04pm Wed 16 May 12
Noone blamed travellers yet?
ladygodiva61
says...
8:01pm Wed 16 May 12
blobby96
says...
8:26pm Wed 16 May 12
galacticwalker
says...
8:49pm Wed 16 May 12
ladygodiva61
says...
9:02pm Wed 16 May 12
old-mo
says...
9:07pm Wed 16 May 12
bandit1 wrote:You ever seen a little kid with their face half torn off, because of a dog attack ?
old-mo wrote:What a stupid ignorant person you are, a total moron, people like you class everybody the same. You talk about **** machines you seem to be full of it! What a sad world it would be if everybody had an attitude like you.
JamesYoung wrote: A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone". Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?I must have read the story with my glasses upside down, I read it as 9 months... Irrespective of when the calf went to market if that is the case. Any dog found to be in a farmers field should be "SHOT".. even if they are with their owners.... plenty of other places to walk the $hit machines... Bring back Dog licensing.... £50 or even £100 a year... But Free for Guide dogs and perhaps OAP`s... most of them look after their dogs and clear up after them...
I have !!! and that was a so called placid dog that wouldn`t chase a cat...
So dont call me a moron....
It only takes one loving little Docile, Placid loving dog to difigure a child for ever.
Merlin of Britain
says...
9:08pm Wed 16 May 12
In advance of a logical TOTAL BAN on dogs, I would dearly like to see them banned from the countryside generally - AND along ANY stretch of beach. I am convinced that doggers only take them to such places to cause extreme anger to normal people out trying to observe Wild Nature.. Old-Mo - I'm behind you!!
ZacJones
says...
11:33pm Wed 16 May 12
merrymet
says...
12:10am Thu 17 May 12
9:08pm Wed 16 May 12
Back in the 1980s I went into Ian Bruce's office " etc. etc.
Merlin: although I suspect I may have 50% canine DNA, you speak from my heart.
yaddayadda1
says...
12:48am Thu 17 May 12
Makes me sick.
JamesYoung
says...
7:50am Thu 17 May 12
ladygodiva61
says...
8:34am Thu 17 May 12
fastjet
says...
10:18am Thu 17 May 12
old-mo wrote:Totally agree there are too many inconsiderate owners .They just leave them to mess everywhere or even worst put in in a plastic bag and hang it in tree or bushes W***ers
JamesYoung wrote:I must have read the story with my glasses upside down, I read it as 9 months...
A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone".
Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?
Irrespective of when the calf went to market if that is the case.
Any dog found to be in a farmers field should be "SHOT".. even if they are with their owners.... plenty of other places to walk the $hit machines...
Bring back Dog licensing.... £50 or even £100 a year...
But Free for Guide dogs and perhaps OAP`s... most of them look after their dogs and clear up after them...
mumsnuffkn
says...
1:42pm Fri 18 May 12
JamesYoung wrote:It isn't nonsense James, go look up on the internet & read all about cattle mutilations & prions, you'll be suprised & disturbed by whats going on here.
@LadyGodiva - yes, I think you need to spell it out. Surely you haven't bought into all that Twilight nonsense?
ladygodiva61
says...
3:12pm Fri 18 May 12
ladygodiva61
says...
3:12pm Fri 18 May 12
JamesYoung
says...
5:39pm Fri 18 May 12
ladygodiva61
says...
7:52pm Fri 18 May 12
TenBobDylanThomasHardy
says...
8:01pm Fri 18 May 12
p.s. I think the 'twilight' comment earlier meant to say 'Twilight Zone' a popular Sci fi TV series in the 70's/80's.
Chav o' 'TheMoor'
says...
5:09pm Sat 19 May 12
JamesYoung wrote:Might not have gone to Market? If he was a lucky animal he could have gone to the same circus as the one where your the resident illiterate clown. I'm sure it said 9 months.
A terrible act, but it does amuse me that the farmer expresses concern that the calf's mother carried him for 6 months "and now he's gone".
Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?
JamesYoung says...
1:12pm Wed 16 May 12
Would the adjustment have been any easier when he went to market in 3 weeks time?