From the Jersey Evening Post

Shepherd Aaron Le Couteur has urged dog owners to ensure their animals are kept on leads while walking in areas with lambs after two of his livestock were killed by being chased off a cliff.

The Jersey States police are now investigating following the incident, involving two Manx loaghtan lambs that grazed on land owned by the National Trust for Jersey near Devil’s Hole and are an integral and much-loved part of the Birds On The Edge project. Red-billed choughs need sheep!

Aaron, who put his “heart and soul” into looking after the large flock, said that the incident was “incredibly frustrating”. “It happened at about 3 pm on Sunday [16 July]”. Two lambs were chased off the edge of a cliff by a dog and unfortunately died as a result. “Because there is an eye-witness the police are investigating, using the leads that they have available, and there is visual evidence” he said.

Aaron said that about 90 per cent of dog owners were responsible and had “exactly the right attitude”, but he added: “There is also the ten per cent who are a lot more difficult to get through to”. He added: “it is pretty obvious. There are signs on the gates as you walk in warning you that there are lambs on the site and to tell people to put their dogs on leads. We are trying to keep this open as a public space rather than restrict people from using it. What we have got to try to get across is that these are living, breathing animals and rearing them is no mean feat”.

Charles Alluto CEO of the National Trust for Jersey added “unfortunately some people do not appreciate that the land in question is agricultural land and in private ownership. Public access is totally at the discretion of the land owner and is a great pity that this is abused by a small number of people not fully controlling their dogs as requested at the entry points. All dogs, however well trained, are a potential threat to livestock as their inherent instincts can over-ride any controls. If this was more fully and widely appreciated then undoubtedly we could avoid such tragic incidents occurring in future”.

Under the Dogs (Jersey) Law 1961, it is an offence for dogs to chase or worry livestock or to not be under proper control. Anyone in breach of the law is liable to a fine of up to £1,000.

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