Figures printed this week by NFU Mutual on the cost of assaults on livestock throughout the UK present that the scenario in Wales has gone from unhealthy to worse.
Gareth Wyn Jones – described by the BBC as “the nation’s favourite farmer” – is condemning Cardiff’s inaction over what he says is “the slaughter of defenceless animals on the hills of Wales.”
A 12 months in the past the media was reporting that there have been 4 instances extra assaults than in comparable components of the UK.
Rise in assaults
Now new figures for Wales present that, simply within the final 12 months, there was an extra doubling of assaults. The enhance for the remainder of the UK was solely 11%.
This implies that during the last three years, whereas assaults on livestock in the remainder of the UK had been up a 3rd, in Wales there was a staggering four-fold enhance in canine assaults.
In his evaluation of the figures, Gareth Wyn Jones who farms in Conwy stated, “The slaughter of defenceless animals on the hills of Wales has obtained even worse, but down in Cardiff the Welsh Government is pretending there isn’t a disaster.
“We must do everything we can to save the dog’s life and the sheep’s life. Allowing e-collars to be used by properly trained people could help reduce the number of attacks.”
Rethink
Former police canine coach and founding father of the Association of Responsible Dog Owners, Jamie Penrith, says higher coaching of dogs is required and that the Welsh ban on protected aids akin to e-collars wants an pressing rethink.
Mr Penrith from Cornwall stated, “E-collar coaching creates a long-term aversion which stops the canine from ever eager to strategy sheep – even when they’ve escaped from their properties or homeowners.
“The Welsh Government’s response of just encouraging owners to use leads is great for training humans, but completely fails to train the dogs. And it is the dogs which have the teeth which are causing so much suffering to Welsh sheep.”
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