Angela Mitchell (62) believes that current legislation does not hold owners accountable for dog attacks. It follows two recent incidents on the beach at St Ouen’s Bay.
Last year Mrs Mitchell was attacked by a rottweiler while riding her horse, Star, (see below) and she said that although the authorities investigated the incident nothing was done due to a lack of legislation.
Recently two riders were reportedly thrown from their horses after being chased by dogs in St Ouen’s Bay, prompting horse owner Julie Settle to urge dog owners to keep their pets on a lead if they see a horse approaching.
Mrs Mitchell, who has been riding for nearly 50 years, was uninjured in the attack last year but Star suffered a number of puncture wounds to his muzzle and neck.
In the UK dogs that are deemed ‘dangerously out of control’ may be put down and could land the owner with a fine of up to £20,000 or a six-month prison sentence. A UK court may deem a dog out of control if it attacks another animal.
Mrs Mitchell believes that the law in Jersey is unclear and should be changed to better protect horses and their owners.
She said: ‘If a human attacks an animal it is a criminal matter and in the UK the owner is responsible if their dog attacks.
‘I think horses should be better protected. It should be the responsibility of the dog owner – they should have control of their dog. I think there should be fines for owners.
‘The law is a grey area and there needs to be tighter restrictions.’
She added: ‘If my horse was badly behaved I wouldn’t take it to the beach or on the road. The majority of dogs are well behaved but some might attack and the owners should be held responsible when that happens.’
In January last year, Mrs Mitchell told how she clung on for her life after her horse was savagely attacked by a Rottweiler as she rode along a country lane.
Mrs Mitchell was riding down Mont ès Neaux in St Saviour on her horse, Star, when the dog broke free from its owner and pounced on the animal.
Mrs Mitchell, who has been riding for nearly 50 years, described how she was left clinging to the reins as the dog launched itself at her frightened horse.
‘It was the most terrifying experience I’ve had,’ she said. ‘I’ve never known anything like it. Dogs sometimes chase Star but they usually back down. This dog wasn’t backing off.’
Mrs Mitchell was uninjured in the incident, but Star suffered numerous puncture wounds to his muzzle and leg.
Describing the attack, Mrs Mitchell said: ‘The owner bent down to tie her shoelaces and the dog ripped the lead from her hand and charged towards us.
‘It had a very big jump and went for Star’s neck and face. The horse reared up and nearly threw me off.’
Star then bolted across a field, leaving Mrs Mitchell to cling on to the reins. She said: ‘I thought I must stay on the horse. If I’d fallen off, then I might have been attacked or the horse could have run into the roads and caused a car accident. I was hanging on for dear life.
‘The owner of the dog apologised, but it was a terrible attack.’
Earlier this month, a horse rider pleaded with dog owners to keep their pets under control after two riders were thrown from the saddle after being chased along St Ouen’s beach.
In one of the incidents, three dogs chased a horse along the beach, eventually causing the rider to fall.
Both riders were unhurt following their falls, but the incidents have prompted rider Julie Settle to call on dog owners to temporarily put their pets on a lead if they see a horse approaching.
Mrs Settle, who says that she has also been chased by dogs while riding but has not been thrown from her horse, is now asking dog owners to take more responsibility for their pets’ actions.
She said: ‘There are lots of responsible owners out there, but there are also some who do not pay attention and their dogs go running off. This is something that happens to riders all the time. It is a problem because it can be dangerous. It’s dangerous to the rider and horse, a danger to other road users if the horse bolts, and a danger to the dogs.
‘We all love to use the beach and it’s great that so many people do, but I have a lot of horse-riding friends who don’t want to go to the beach because of the dogs. I think the owners could be a bit more aware of what is going on.’
Mrs Settle, who has owned horses for a number of years, says that if owners are unsure about how their dog will react, they should temporarily put it on a lead.
She added: ‘I know my dog will want to run by a horse if she sees one, so I put her on a lead. A lot of people don’t realise that when a dog sees a horse, it may chase and want to play. The problem is that as soon as the dog has gone, it is very difficult to get it back. We all need to take responsibility for our animals.’
In December, Jersey’s new Economic Development Minister said he would look at a review of the law relating to dogs on beaches, but that it was not currently top of his priorities.
Senator Lyndon Farnham took over as minister on October 2014 and was intending to read a report prepared at the request of his predecessor, Senator Alan Maclean, relating to the possible options for changing the law relating to when dogs can be on Jersey’s beaches without a lead.
The review followed a protest at Le Braye, in St Ouen’s Bay, in June when 100 dog owners turned up to call for the current restrictions, which mean that their pets must be on leads on beaches between 10.30 am and 6 pm from May to September, to be relaxed.
It also came after 1,500 people voted in a JEP poll on the subject, with 48 per cent of those who responded saying that the current restrictions were fair, 26 per cent that they were too harsh and dogs should be able to run free all the time and eight per cent saying that they should be kept on leads at all times.
Senator Farnham said: ‘A report was done for the previous minister, which I haven’t read yet – it is on my list of reports to read,’ he said.