Petersham Meadows is considered to be one of the iconic views of the British countryside and is the only panorama in England to be protected by an Act of Parliament. The National Trust vowed to keep the cattle on the meadow when it took over the land, described by Sir Walter Scott as "an unrivaled landscape".
The cattle, many of them pregnant or with calves, were attacked by a bull terrier on Bank Holiday (May 2nd) while bystanders looked on and the herdsman, Ian Brown, 64, desperately tried to stop the attack.
At one point in the fifteen minute attack the dog hung onto a cow's neck for 15-30 seconds. Brown eventually managed to grab the dog, but as can be seen in the video below the owner fled with the animal before police arrived. The animal's owner was traced to an address in Isleworth after pictures in the Evening Standard were published.
The dog will now be maintained in kennels until police and the courts decide what to do. The cost of maintaining vicious dogs at public expense has become an issue of mounting concern in the UK.
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July 5th, 2013:
The attack on the cattle of Petersham Meadows occurred over two years ago but the effects will be felt for years to come. Following the attack the National Trust, which administers the herd on the Meadows, erected a fence. The fence diverted dog walkers to a narrow path along the road.
Various alternate plans have been proposed but the National Trust has been reluctant to return the cows to Petersham until their safety is assured. A new compromise will require concessions from all those who use and enjoy the Meadows. Under an exclusion order approved by the council, dogs are now banned from the meadows during the grazing season and a temporary fence will be taken down when they leave.
The move comes after a long battle involving the National Trust, Richmond Council and dog walkers. The cattle returned to Petersham Meadows for seven months of each year beginning in April of 2013.
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Sources:
2011:
Compiled from various news sources including the Evening Standard, The Sun, and The Daily Mail.
2012-13:
Petersham Meadows (Blog)
Seven month dog ban proposed for Petersham Meadows,
Your Local Guardian Richmond, Nov 16, 2012
Petersham cows not moo-ving back in, as fence proves divisive,
Richmond & Twickenham Times, Feb 8, 2013
New cows brought to Petersham Meadows as dog ban continues,
Your Local Guardian Richmond, May 24, 2013
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