Two dairy cows had to be euthanised in the UK this week after an off-lead dog entered the shed they were in and caused havoc.

The two in-calf Friesian cows were put down on the farm of Chrissie and Matt Crossman at Woodborough, Pewsey.

On Tuesday, a large black dog entered the Crossmans' private farmyard and hopped over a gate to enter their cow shed. The dairy herd had been housed due to recent wet weather.

The dog ran “through our enclosed cow shed scaring the cows”, said Chrissie.

“[It] caused them to all panic and run from one end of the shed to the other. One-hundred cows running at the same time in a panic never ends well,” she added.

Injuries

The panicked cows bolted, leading to two animals being seriously injured.

“One had a dislocated hip and the other a broken leg,” described the farmer.

The three-and-a-half-year-old in-calf cows were a major loss to the Crossmans, Chrissie explained.

“In effect, that's four animals gone just like that because of yet another irresponsible dog owner not having control of their dog.

“We are a small family farm and this has [had a] huge emotional impact on us.

"We’ve worked tirelessly to get where we are and finally have our own herd of cows and for this to happen, like it does all over the country with other livestock on a daily basis, is frustrating to put it politely,” she said.

Call

The dairy farmer called for dog walkers to ensure their pets are kept on a lead at all times near livestock.

“This includes footpaths near farms, as you never know where livestock may be grazing or being moved from one area to the other.

“If you see someone walking with a dog off a lead near a farm or livestock, please remind them to keep dogs on leads,” Chrissie added.

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