Yorkshire Wildlife Trust begs dog owners to 'keep them on leads' after sheep are chased and attacked at two local nature reserves

The Trust has begged dog owners to keep their animals on short leads after the incidents at Stirley Community Farm near Huddersfield and Kilnsea Wetlands on the coast.

Staff have also warned that rampaging dogs can trample and disturb ground-nesting birds and species living in ponds.

Dogs are completely banned at some Yorkshire Wildlife Trust-managed sites, but in others public rights of way run across the land. Pets off the lead are one of the biggest factors in wildlife disturbance incidents.

At Stirley – a former intensive dairy farm that the charity took over and restored to nature in 2011 – there are numerous signs asking visitors to keep dogs on leads, yet there remains a ‘real problem’ with fouling.

Last week a Hebridean grazing sheep was found with deep bite wounds to its neck after being attacked by a dog. Team leader Karen McDiarmid said: “Our sheep are precious to us and must be allowed to get on with their job. They are expert mowers who help to keep our lovely meadows and wildflowers looking glorious for everyone to enjoy, including for butterflies and pollinating insects, swallows and bats later in spring. The sheep recovered this time but situations like this are deeply distressing and cost us time and money in vets fees – precious resources that a charity like ours shouldn’t have to find. We ask again for everyone to please keep their dogs on leads, encourage others to do the same and keep to the routes we provide and maintain.

“Responsible dog owners and dogs on leads are very welcome on the footpaths and routes we’ve laid out at Stirley but sadly there are still too many dogs bounding freely across this reserve disturbing wildlife. Very soon skylark, lapwing, brown hares, willow warblers, field vole should be nesting in grassland areas and we’re desperately trying to provide them with a safe place to raise their young.”

At Kilnsea Wetlands in the last week, several dogs chased pregnant ewes kept on the reserve by a local farmer. Dogs are only permitted on reserve paths if kept on leads.

Last year a seal was also bitten by a family’s dog on the beach at Spurn Point.

The charity’s Humber regional officer Andy Gibson said: “Curlews, skylarks and brown hare live in the fields and saltmarsh and on quiet sections of beach and in long grass – there aren’t many homes left for them. Allowing dogs to run free in these places is just disastrous – eggs trampled, small mammals eaten, seal pups bitten before many owners may be aware of what’s happened.

“Dogs must never be allowed to chase sheep – responsible dog owners know this but it’s becoming more frequent. The impact of dogs can be significantly reduced if they are on a lead.”

Owners are also being asked to prevent their dogs jumping into ponds, as the insecticides found in pets’ flea treatment can kill species and pollute waterways.

They have also been reminded that ‘any dog’ regardless of age, size or breed is capable of chasing livestock, and that farmers are legally entitled to shoot a dog caught worrying their animals..