Livestock Protection Laws Won’t Progress

The Manx National Farmers Union has been calling for change in legislation to prevent further livestock being injured by out of control dogs.

However, the farmers union has been informed that the proposed legislation to better protect livestock will now not progress.

It won’t be progressed due to the backlog of the current legislative programme. 

Livestock Protection

The MNFU has, for some time, been working with the Animal Health Directorate of DEFA and the Police on revisions to the legislation around Livestock Worrying that currently sits within the Dogs Act 1990.

It says: “We were making good progress and had hoped that stronger penalties for negligent dog owners, and better powers to investigate as well as more definition around ‘control’ that could be implemented.

“It was intended that the livestock worrying element of the Dogs Act 1990 could instead be represented within the Animal Welfare Act as secondary legislation.

Manx National Farmers Union.

“Scotland introduced stronger measures some time ago, and England was due to introduce stronger legislation but this was put on hold for the election.

“For the Isle of Man, we have very recently been informed that the proposed legislation to better protect livestock will now not progress due to the backlog of the current legislative programme.”

Real Blow

The union says that the legislation not being progress is “obviously a real blow”.

The farming sector comes under increasing pressures year on year and the legislation would have provided recognition for welfare and some equity for the industry.

MNFU said it is “disappointing” that keepers of livestock and farmed animals that are at risk of attack do not seem to be a “political priority”.

This is “despite enduring significant suffering during and after dog attacks due to owner negligence”.

The Union would like to thank the DEFA Animal Health Team and the Police for the time and support they have given to it’s proposed legislation.

Proposed Legislation

Looking at the Scottish legislation members of the Manx National Union would like to see a number of changes including:

• A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, an unlimited fine, or both.
• To request that new legislation defines ‘under control’ as ‘on a short lead’.
• To ensure that evidence of inadequate fencing around the domestic curtilage is considered when gathering evidence of an offence.
• That inadequate fencing of the domestic curtilage for keepers of dogs is considered as an offence.
• Assume any loose dog would be defined as ‘out of control’.
• Landowner must also retain the right to shoot any dog that caught worrying or attacking livestock.