Cattle Safety

Dogs killed and air ambulance called in this historic cattle attack near Ashbourne

Incident number: 1096

Response ID: 314,266,382

Date of incident: 09.07.2019

Location: Near Ashbourne (what3words) ///lavished.gear.birds

Status: Lone walker with three dogs on a lead on PRoW

This Ashbourne resident’s story

“I was walking my 3 dogs in the field when I noticed cattle grazing so I walked calmly & slowly towards them. At this stage I wasn’t frightened as I thought they are harmless creatures but then they all started to walk towards me before I knew it was on the floor being rolled. I became aware of hearing one of my dogs cry so I managed to sit upright amongst the cattle and pull my dogs towards me.

One called Mazy had been trampled to death, Marlee my second had also been trampled on but was alive just unable to move, and my third dog Burty was ok, so I unhooked them all leaving Burty to run away while I try to pick myself and Marlee up from the ground. I had to leave Mazy there.

As I stood up I was knocked again to the floor but I still held on to Marlee. By this time Burty had come back to me so I stood up holding both dogs under my arm as they were all small dogs but once again I was knocked to the floor. Burty ran under a gate that was roughly 10 yards from me, I watched him go as I just lay there thinking that’s it I’m done I can’t move due to having hurt my leg in the first fall.

Luckily two cars were lost in the same field as their sat nav took them both the wrong way so they approached that same gate near where I was laying but they couldn’t see me due to all the cows surrounding me so I managed to put my hand up in the air as I could see a car bumper near to where I was and then they saw me. They too were being attacked by the same cows but they managed to get me in their car and open the gate. I remember a motorcyclist coming towards the cars holding Burty asking if the dog belong to us. Apparently Burty ran out into the main road causing the motorcyclist to stop .

I was taken by ambulance from the side of the field to an air ambulance in the neighbouring field then taken to Stoke hospital. I suffered broken ribs, bumps to the head and cow hoof imprint on my left leg of which after many surgeries I am left with a shark bite image on that leg. At the time of the accident I was wearing a backpack that contained a flask of which saved my life.

I now suffer from PDSD from not only the accident but from losing my two best friends Marlee & Mazy”

Cows frightening walkers on coastal path from Mothercombe

Incident number: 1093

Response ID: 314,213,800

Date of incident: 24.04.25

Location: On the coast path heading from Mothercombe towards Butcher’s Cove

Status: Couple with a dog on a lead on PRoW

C Taylor’s story

“My partner and I were walking with our dog on a lead along the coastal path which passed through a field of dairy cows belong to Surfing Cow Gelato. One cow started walking towards us. We stopped and my partner waved his arms and made a noise. The cow stopped but the herd began walking, then trotting, towards us. Suddenly then were all running towards us. We ran through an open gate and closed it which deterred them but there were other openings in the hedge/gate. We only just made it through — the cows were a few meters behind us. We then started walking and the cows slowed down, still following us but this time they were walking rather than running.”

This walker wants “ A sign warning walkers about the cows and a path separating walkers from the cows”

A near miss near Abergavenny

Incident number: 1092

Response ID: 314,195,119

Date of incident: 25.04.25

Location: Field near Pyscodlyn Farm Caravan & Camping Site on a walk to Abergavenny

Status: 3 to 5 people with dog on lead on PRoW

JB’s story

“There was a group of cows with calves present in the same field. The cows with older calves seemed curious as we made our away across a field. We then noticed a couple of cows trotting towards us. Within seconds the whole herd started charging and we ran towards the stile. It was very frightening as the cows’ faces were very close to my husband as he turned around to shoo them away.

They were snorting and behaving very aggressively. My friend let go of the dog and he saved us because they chased him and we were able to escape.”

All escaped without needing medical assistance including the dog!

Effective Fencing Options for Farmers: separating cattle and walkers

We discuss how to safely accommodate walkers where public rights of way cross cattle-grazed fields. We emphasise the importance of separating cattle and people, explore fencing options, highlight the advantages and limitations of electric fencing, and suggest how farmers can avoid unnecessary expense.

How can walkers be safely accommodated where cattle graze on fields crossed by public rights of way (PROWs)? Read our summary, or download our full briefing letter for farmers / landowners.

Walk needed to be diverted on Purbeck Way – fortunately walkers not harmed but this needs reporting to HSE to protect others

Incident number: 1089

Response ID: 314,115,653

Date of incident: 20.04.25

Location: Purbeck Way, between Corfe Castle and Worth Matravers, Dorset. Grid ref SY 966799

Status: Couple with no dog on PRoW

Purbeck Rambler reports that whilst attempting to walk ta section of the Purbeck way their walk was stopped by dozens of cows and calves blocking a gate entrance.

They report “The cows were of decent size – certainly not newborn with a very muddy slope upwards. This caused a bottleneck with cows moving into copse.

It was way too risky to enter field at that point. Waited half an hour. Bottom gate clear, but at the top of the field, dozens of cows and calves bottlenecked on the footpath, cows on banks either side. Just reporting it because there was no way round them and we had to climb over and under barbed wire to rejoin the Purbeck Way further on.

Still, that led us to wild garlic, so not all bad.”

Managed to keep cows away using branches

Incident number: 1088

Response ID: 314,096,255

Date of incident: 19.04.25

Location: Beaupre Castle, public footpath, St Mary Church, Cowbridge, South Wales.

Status: Couple with no dog on PRoW

Maz’s story

“We were walking on a public footpath near to the visitor attraction of Beaupre Castle. There were a group of heifers in the field, 3 Golden brown, One Black and one older heifer which was white and grey. The cows charged us 5 times and drove us to a fence by the river. I armed myself with a branch and managed to fight them back over 5 charges as my wife escaped to the gate.”

Maz adds “Either secure public rights of way or no cows on public rights of way.”

Longtown Cumbria – We are so glad this walker turned back!

Incident number: 1087

Response ID: 314,070,431

Date of incident: 16.04.25

Location: Longtown, Carlisle. Coordinates 55.0072081, -2.9745976

Status: Lone walker with dog on lead on PRoW

Scott’s story

“Walking on public footpath with dog on very short lead. Followed by cows so decided to turn back, then charged by 20-30 cows. Managed to get back to the other side of the entry point safely but it was very close to being knocked down by the cows.”

Scott adds

“Changes – warning if cows are in field or dangerous. Ideally, I’d like the public footpath to be fenced off and separate from livestock”

Watch out for cattle on Bowlhead Green to Birch Copse walk

Incident number: 1085

Response ID: 313,994,623

Date of incident: 14.04.25

Location: Field on left hand side off Bowlhead Green Road, Brook, GU8 5UW approx half a mile from A286 junction.

Status: Couple with no dog on PRoW

Godalming Rambler reported

“We were walking on the public foot path goes from Bowlhead Green to Birch Copse. The cows were the far side corner of the field. The foot path goes centrally through the field. We walked half way across the field when the cows started approaching as a herd, as we retreated they began to stampede. We then had to run back to the entrance of the field.”

We are glad that Godalming Rambler was fit enough to run and avoided injuries

Dog saves the day in East Harptree Somerset

Incident number: 1084

Response ID: 313,992,260

Date of incident: 13.04.25

Location: East Harptree, Somerset On a public right of way through field near Nettwood Lane

Status: Two people with dog on lead on PRoW

E Hale’s Story

“A group of around 20 cows or so were to the left of the gate that we needed to go through. We walked away from the public right of way to ensure that we gave them some space. Our dog was not reacting and kept on a tight lead. The cows were watching us and then they started to trot towards us and then began speeding up. Our dog started reacting so we had to let her off the lead. The cows were beginning to circle us but our small dog running around them pushed them back and we were able to run to the gate. Our dog continued to run around them, barking until we were at the gate and then she came back to us when we called her and luckily she was able to get through the cows as they had now surrounded the gate. It was very scary and I am sure that we would have been injured if not for our dog. We have walked through many fields with cattle before and have never felt this threatened and at risk of harm.

Our dog was very agitated following this incident and it took us a while to calm her down. Not sure how she will react to cows in the future now.”

Struggling to avoid a herd on public footpath in Papcastle

Incident number: 1083

Response ID: 313,984,668

Date of incident: 13.04.25

Location: Field in Papcastle on Papcastle to Workington Trail.

Status: Couple with two children with no dog on PRoW

“My partner and our 2 young children were walking a field in Papcastle. We crossed the field before, on the public footpath, and could not see any cattle. On our return, we got to the gate and saw a herd of cows in the field. They turned to look at us and then ran to the gate. They stopped about a metre before the gate and just stared at us. We waited for a while hoping that they would get bored and move along but they didn’t. We had no other route and there was a river to the side of us. We turned around and tried to go up a bank to find another way. As we turned around the cows raced at the gate. When we couldn’t find another route, we went back to the gate and the herd had moved but they had moved to the other gate which would have blocked our way out of the field. We therefore had no option but to walk up the other side of the field to see if we could find another way out. When we got to the top of the field and walked across, we were at the top of a hill, with the cows at the bottom of the hill- but they had moved from the footpath so we thought we would move back toward the footpath. However, the herd stared at us again and when we started walking back towards the path, they all started to run back in that direction (thankfully didn’t come up the hill). We were lucky that we were blocked from their view then by a large tree so we turned the opposite direction and ended up passing our children over a barbed wire fence into the neighbouring field. When we got near to the footpath in the neighbouring field, the cows noticed us again and ran to the fence and gate and one banged its head into the gate. Throughout the whole event, we kept our young children slow and quiet and we did not provoke the cows in any way. I’ve always been wary of cows and now my partner is too- although I’ve never seen cows behave in this way/ it felt like they were chasing/ stalking us.”

Our reporter states

“If the farmer had chosen to add some additional fencing, it would have prevented a metre and a half of grazing along one side of the field. I can’t understand why such precautions wouldn’t be taken. If walkers can’t safely use public footpaths then the UK would be very suffocating indeed.”

Farmer had blocked off the foot path leading to my serious injuries from one lone cow!!!!!

Incident number: 1080

Response ID: 313,939,957

Date of incident: 06.04.24

Location: Field just past the campsite by St Margaret’s Church on Welsh Bicknor by river Wye

Status: Lone walker with dog on lead on PRoW

“The Farmer had blocked off the foot path making it impossible to avoid the field and the calves were not visible until right in the field.

Very large female cow came from nowhere charging at me. She Headbutted me to the floor, and continued stamping on me and headbutting me and either bit or horned the back of my leg. I let go of my dog as soon as I hit the floor and went limp. Attack stopped by 4 men who came to my rescue . And got me off the field. Ambulances to hospital where I stayed 4 days with two broken ribs, punctured lung and a puncture wound on my leg.”

We wish this walker well and hope that she has recovered from both her physical and mental ordeal.

Popular walking route with a very excitable and frightening group of young heifers

Incident number: 1079

Response ID: 313,680,417

Date of incident: 31.03.25

Location: Fields behind the Queen’s Arms in Corton Denham Dorset

Status: Lone walker with no dog on PRW

Gaynor’s story

“I decided not to pass through their field when I saw the cows across the footpath and stayed on the other side of the hedge to find a different way round. Suddenly I heard a loud piercing bellow and hooves stampeding behind me on the other side of the hedge. It was so loud with the cows screaming and bellowing and the hooves charging. I was petrified that further along the hedge the cows could get into the field I was in. They continued making a racket, pushing against the fence and following me. If i’d decided to walk along the hedge line in the same field as them I’d have been trampled – it is a very big group of cows and it was aggressive. I was walking alone without a dog.

There were no signs on the fences along the footpath or the stile which led into the cow field. It’s a popular walk. There should be warning signs!”