A former slaughterman has been fined after his dog attacked and injured lambs in Wensleydale.
Ryan Iveson, 33, was camping with a friend when their dogs chased three lambs on fields at Worton Bottoms, near Askrigg, York Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecutor Antony Farrell said that Iveson’s rottweiler/husky cross, called Zen, and his friend’s Staffordshire bull terrier/XL bully cross swam across the river to get to the sheep.
The three lambs suffered injuries to their neck and legs.
Iveson, of South Parade, Northallerton, was charged with being in charge of a dog which worried livestock and injured three lambs on agricultural land.
He admitted the offence, which was charged under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act, when he appeared in court yesterday.
Mr Farrell said the distressing incident occurred on May 31 after Iveson and some friends set up tents near the river.
He said that both dogs crossed the river and chased the young sheep into and out of a field and ended up “squaring up to them” as members of the public “tried shouting the dogs back”.
A witness rang the farmer to tell him his lambs were being attacked as someone grabbed the dogs which were put on leads.
Iveson waited at the scene to speak to the farmer about the incident and offered to pay him compensation or work for free on his farm in lieu of payment.
Mr Farrell said that in 2021, Iveson was made subject to a control order regarding the Rottweiler cross, although such an order was not appropriate in this case because the dog was not deemed to be dangerously out of control.
He asked for £1,225 compensation for the farmer because it was uncertain whether his sheep had been insured and whether he had to pay any excess for the injuries.
Iveson was currently on a community order, imposed in November last year, for battery and criminal damage.
His solicitor Keith Whitehouse said that when the dogs swam across the river, Iveson was distracted by putting the tents up but conceded that he had lost control of the pet.
He said Iveson had worked as a slaughterman for most of his adult life, ironically being responsible for the welfare of sheep and other livestock at the end of their lives.
District judge Adrian Lower said it was evident that the dogs were running loose in the moments before the attack.
He told Iveson: “I’m sure you would accept that, being a dog owner, you have a responsibility to make sure that your dog is under proper control, and the dog wasn’t, and what happens when dogs see sheep? Well, they chase them. It’s what dogs do.
“I know you were sorry about this. I’m sure this has been a wake-up call to you to make sure that when you are out with Zen, Zen is under control so that this kind of thing can’t happen.”
Iveson was fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs, along with an £80 victim surcharge, which will be deducted from his Universal Credit payments.
However, there was no order for compensation because of confusion about whether the owner of the lambs may have claimed on an insurance policy.
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