The fourth in our catalogue of countryside harassment.

The Vet:

“My first job as a vet was in a mixed practice in the south of Scotland. One Wednesday whilst I was doing the morning surgery an emergency came in. It was a dog which had been caught in the mark 4 Fenn trap whilst being walked in woods a few miles from the town. The trap was still attached to its front left foot and it was in some considerable pain. I sedated the dog, removed the trap and set about establishing and repairing the injuries.  The owner reported that the trap had been set out in the open on a track and covered by some loose grass and leaves. I was aware from my vet school studies that this placement was potentially illegal and asked the owner if she wanted to make a complaint to the police. She said that she rented a cottage from the estate in question and did not dare complain for fear of being evicted. I decided to speak to the senior partner in the practice and seek advice but before I could do so I became aware of a disturbance in the waiting area. A gamekeeper from the estate was shouting loudly and demanding the return of his property. It became apparent that the ‘property’ in question was the Fenn trap I had recently removed from the dog’s paw. The senior partner who I had been planning to speak to appeared and having hear what had happened went into my consulting room, brought the trap out and gave it to the gamekeeper who then left with it.

After the dog owner had left I was called in by the senior partner who explained, rather sheepishly, that the estate gave the practice a lot of work. If they went elsewhere then there would have to be cutbacks and that as the last one in I was likely to be the first one out. He also pointed out that nothing was likely to happen even if a complaint was made. The estate owners had powerful connections, including to Royalty and they were simply ‘untouchable’.

I took the matter no further which remains a source of shame to me. Ten days later I was in a pub in the town when I was harassed by two younger gamekeepers from the same estate. There was verbal abuse and they tipped a drink over me. I stopped drinking in that pub but then they appeared in the one I had moved to. I stopped drinking in pubs altogether. I started receiving ‘silent’ phone calls in the night when I was on call and twice I received calls to emergencies at outlying farms that turned out to be hoaxes. From starting out happily on my new career in an apparently pleasant small town I became tired, depressed and fearful. I realised that I had to leave if I wanted the harassment to stop.    

Not long afterwards I was able to find a job in a city in southern England miles from any shooting estates and I am now happily settled caring for companion animals.

From time to time I have mentioned this incident to other vets and have been surprised how many have dealt with injuries to companion animals caused by traps and snares. Some also say they have dealt with injuries to gamekeeper’s dogs suggesting that they have been fighting with wild mammals. Virtually all said that they would not formally report these events for fear of harassment .“