Please

There are many things I could have blogged about today, but this one rose to the top of the agenda. Warnings you won't find it easy.

Some of my friends from the Yorkshire days are farmers. J is a woman I admire enormously - as well as the farm she puts in a few shifts at a supermarket. That tells you something about the income you get from farming, by the way. She is also a lovely mum and grandma and helps at the church toddler group. She's one of the most hard-working people I know. In fact between church, work and family I don't know how she ever finds time to sleep, but she responds to everything calmly and kindly. A lovely, gentle woman.

Yesterday morning her husband went out to 'look the sheep', as they say round here, to check up on them and feed them. They had twenty-five young sheep in a field near a local beauty spot.

He found carnage. A dog had been among the flock. Of the twenty-five, nine had been badly injured and one was missing. Of the injured ones, they were able to save only two. Apart from the suffering to the animals, who had been terrified as well as hurt, these good people have lost a large part of their livelihood and have to deal with the aftermath.

This doesn't need to happen. All anyone has to do is to keep their dog on a lead anywhere remotely near livestock. Never mind that it's well trained, obedient, wouldn't hurt a fly, any dog can become wildly excited and out of control about sheep, and the next thing is the sort of savagery that M and J had to face. So please, please, it's easy. Keep your dog on a lead near sheep. Tell your friends and family to keep their dog on a lead near sheep. And if you see a dog out of control around sheep, call the police and, if you can, get a message to the owner. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about, but J has had to think about it for the last two days.