Press reports out indicate that the recent trampling of four people in two months by cows has stirred the UK’s National Farmers Union into action. Warnings have been issued that under that long lashed, quiet bovine exterior lies a nasty accident waiting to happen.

Not that it’s the cows’ fault, mind you. The mothers are merely doing what any would do and protecting their new calves. Walkers with dogs are particularly vulnerable as the cows see them as a threat. The official advice from both the Ramblers Association and the NFU is to let the dogs off the leash when going through a field with cows in it. Reason? Because the cows will go after the dog rather than the walker.

If the owner’s on the other end of the dog’s leash, they risk serious injury or death. The cows won’t differentiate between human and dog when they charge. “There’s a high chance they will get the walker too,” says Robert Sheasby, Rural Surveyor at the NFU.

Now call me old fashioned but I don’t think any pet lover would be too enamored by the thought of sacrificing Fido to death by trampling on their Sunday stroll. The big question is of course why the heck go through those fields in the first place when there’s even the slightest risk of that happening? Don’t try and tell me there aren’t any empty fields or parks out there where they could wander and keep both themselves and their pet safe.

That would be bull.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!