Terrified by shouting, angry farmer .. what to do next?

gwhizz75

YorkiePud wrote: »

To carry it on and turn it into a personal vendetta is obtuse and could probably end up with HIM going to the police and having you banned from being on his land.

It's hardly a "personal vendetta". The OP is writing to the big brute to tell him how his behaviour made her feel. How come he gets the right to vent his anger at her and she doesn't get the right of reply?

When you are in these situations (getting shouted at and threatened), many people (including myself) just stand there with their mouth open in shock and are too shook up by what is going on to reply or fight their corner. Adrenaline can have a funny affect on people. Perhaps the farmer will reconsider his actions in the future if he realises he genuinely scared someone. Or perhaps he will just laugh and throw the letter in the bin.

At the end of the day though, all she can do is try and I think suggesting that this could end in HIM going to the police is just a little ridiculous. It's only a letter, and I don't think he would be too keen to highlight the fact that he is threatening to shoot women and their dogs to the police.

paddy's_mum

Vendetta? Vendetta!! Flippin' heck - I give up.

Tom1234

YorkiePud wrote: »

You were in the wrong having your dogs off the lead.

... you were out taking a walk with your animals and you should have had them on a lead around livestock. That was your wrongdoing.

By neither the letter of the law, nor of the countryside code was she obliged to have her dogs on a lead. She had the dogs under firm control - as was her only obligation.

The OP has done absolutely nothing wrong here.

At the end of the day, I feel she has a moral obligation to inform the police of the potentially violent farmer's actions but that's really only for the OP to decide.

BilberryCharlotte

Sorry Ceridwen, I realise you want to move on, but I hope you won`t be offended if I add a note.

I used to walk with my dogs a lot, quite often along public footpaths or private ground. It is usually considered good manners that if you are not on your own ground, you keep your dogs on a lead, in fact in some places there are signs to that effect.

In fact in the Peak District it is not unknown for a farmer to shoot a dog which is on their land and not on a lead with its owner.

I have known farmers to put notices up at the start of a public footpath to warn that there is a bull in that field, which isnt good, but I have some sympathy with them when you see how some people have strayed from the path, left gates open etc.
Perhaps they are not only corncerned with their subsidies, but genuinlely care about the welfare of the animals in their care, although obviously not enough to be vegan/vegetarian.

I am sorry that the original poster was distressed, I can see that it is upsetting, but perhaps the farmer was also distressed if he percieved that his cattle had been chased, maybe not for the first time.

Oldernotwiser

Tom1234 wrote: »

By neither the letter of the law, nor of the countryside code was she obliged to have her dogs on a lead. She had the dogs under firm control - as was her only obligation.
.

Although she admits they might have attacked the farmer if they thought he'd threatened her.

BilberryCharlotte

gwhizz75 wrote: »

That's an excellent point, why should he get away with it just because he is an angry farmer?

I think some of the people on here harping on about the "countryside code" should think how they would feel if some big, burly, mean guy approached them or their wives/girlfriends/daughters in this manner.

I am sorry you feel this way, I have always found country folk to be most friendly, if anyone feels otherwise why would they be walking on their own in the first place?

gwhizz75

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although she admits they might have attacked the farmer if they thought he'd threatened her.

No, she didn't say that at all. She said that if the farmer had really perceived her dogs to be dangerous and out of control, then why wasn't he worried about them attacking him.

Pepzofio

Having read this thread from beginning to end, I can't say I've seen a single post where OP has come across as "being bullish, defensive, condescending and opinionated" - if fact I think she has set out all her posts in a calm and measured tone, under the circumstances.

I agree with Tom1234 that OP should report this to the police - the farmer has broken the law, not the OP. I wouldn't bother with a letter.

To whoever it was that said if they saw someone treating a child or animal badly that they too would react angrily, I'm assuming that you wouldn't be carrying a shotgun or threaten to shoot anyone with it!!

mumslave

I was brought up beside a farm. As it happens, one day our second lab ran off on my dad (out of character) and two days later we still hadnt found her. Till the farmer called to tell us he had caught her worrying a sheep, and tried to shoot her but missed. We ended up with the choice of paying for a very expensive sheep or having our dog put down should she come home. I spent days praying she wouldnt come back...because the family simply didnt have the money to pay for the sheep, plus because she had done it once, there would have been a high chance she would do it again. She did come home sadly and was put to sleep that same day only 11 years old. She lived by that farm for ten years without ever showing any interest in chasing or hurting the farm animals.

As a result, as an adult, I would know better than to have my dogs off a lead around farm and farming land.. Not only does it protect you (cows especially get irate at the sight of dogs and WILL chase anyone or anything near it should it feel threatened enough) and your dog, it avoids farm animals getting distressed. It also should have no bearing how firm a control you have on a dog, a dog is just that, a dog and even the most well trained dog can act out of form. Just because you CAN do something, ie walk dogs around farmland with no lead, doesnt mean you should. Use your sense.

The farmer however should not have been so irate with you, i do agree, and I am sorry he frightened you....but for all we know he could have this happening lots, people walking animals without leads and his animals being upset. It doesnt excuse his behaviour though.

Next time it might just be better to keep your dogs on a lead, for everyones sake.

Tom1234

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although she admits they might have attacked the farmer if they thought he'd threatened her.

I can see you don't have me on ignore, as you're responding to my posts.

I'm sure you'll notice the one at the top of the page where I pointed out how you'd selectively quoted to try and twist the OPs words into suggesting that.

The OP was talking about a hypothetical situation whereby if the farmer HAD been worried about that, he wouldn't have approached her so aggressively.