On the 5th October 2017, just a few weeks ago, Lianne Hutchinson was out walking her dog on a public footpath near Darlington. Suddenly, a cow barged through the fence and attacked her.
The attack ended when her dog ran off and the cow was distracted, giving Lianne time to escape through a nearby gate.
Lianne was badly trampled – so badly hurt she couldn’t walk. With broken ribs and a collapsed lung, she managed to crawl to a nearby farm for help. The farmer summoned an ambulance, and Lianne was taken to Darlington Hospital.
The attack must have been shocking, and we wish Lianne a speedy recovery. You can read the ITV news report here.
Our comments
This incident shows that cow attacks can happen to anyone, even to those who aren’t walking through a field of livestock.
Lianne partially fits the profile for cattle attack victims, because she was walking alone and had a dog with her. But Lianne is in her early forties and is, therefore, a little younger than most victims, who tend to be over 50.
The only encouraging feature is that, according to media reports, an NFU spokesperson has finally admitted cow attacks are common. “Injury incidents involving cattle are more common than many realise.”
Credits: Details taken from ITV and various news reports. Photo from Pixabay.
Cattle Safety 