Father-of-three Rob Lane, 43, was out for a walk when he heard the screeching deer.Ever looked into Fido’s mouth, Rob? Wondered why he had all those pointy teeth?
He said: “It was quite disturbing.
“Dogs do chase deer a lot but you don’t actually expect them to catch them and kill them.
“You wouldn’t want your children to see something like that.”
Elaine Boswell, 63, was returning home to St Georges Close from the town when it happened.
She said: “This dog wasn’t like any other dog, chasing for fun, it meant business.
“It had caused cars to stop in the road.
…
Well, quite. But again, I’m forced to wonder just what people think a dog really is…
“If it could kill a deer like that, it could easily kill livestock.
“The way it went after this deer, it seemed like a true killer, a true hunter.
“You can’t really have that around the streets of Lyme.”
And then we have this:
Distraught primary school children were left in tears after teachers took them on a trip to a live duck shoot.Wow! I never got to go on anything like that when I was a kid! We just went to museums...
Parents have complained after claiming they weren't made aware that their children would be subjected to watching live birds being shot during the trip last Wednesday.Really? You mean, in this day and age, the school forgot to mention it? I find that a little hard to believe…
Ray Poolman said his horrified 10-year-old daughter returned home in tears after seeing a bird blasted, before a dog retrieved its lifeless body during the trip to Welney Marshes, Cambridgeshire.Well, it did. Sort of. Just not for long….
Mr Poolman, 49, has since complained to the school and his local councillor as his daughter thought the trip would just involve bird-watching.
A letter sent home by the school told parents that the 22 pupils would watch a 'flight' but he said it did not say children would see birds being shot.Like….what?
'I have since spoken to some of my friends who go shooting and they told me that "flight" means "shoot". I thought the kids would be watching the birds coming into roost or migrating.
'My daughter came home absolutely distraught and in floods of tears.
'I was absolutely unaware that it was a shoot, otherwise she wouldn't have been there. There's no way it's an educational trip.
'It shouldn't have been arranged by teachers in school time. 'I can't believe they put children in that environment. What if something had gone wrong?'
A wounded duck charging the onlookers?
A spokesperson for the school said today that children were informed in person by staff that the trip could involve ducks being shot.Someone’s got some explaining to do, then, Mr Poolman. Perhaps she should sit on the naughty step for telling lies?
What a pity, as Mud In The Blood notes, they didn't light up or sip from hip flasks too. Can you imagine the hysteria?
12 comments:
I do not expect the teachers new what flight meant either. I must admit nor did I until I read your blog. The way things are going at the moment with the economy learning how to kill animals for food may well be something that is well worth demonstrating and teaching. Having over protective parents and sheltered childhoods is another example of the decline in society that does not auger well if we are in for an austerity future that may last for years.
Seen at The Raccoon's Arms:
Fenton. Fenton! FENTON!
Oh Jesus Christ. FENNTAAAHN!!
But I do agree with the parents about taking school kids on a live duck shoot. I mean, they wouldn't be allowed to stab the ducks themselves... no wonder they were upset :-D
Hey, gives me an idea for a videogame: Duck Call of Duty. Do you think it'll fly? (Not for long.)
From the Mail article: "Following a class discussion about the visit, a letter was sent home to explain that children would find out more about wildfowling, the conservation of the landscape and the dogs and equipment used."
What on earth did Mr Poolman think "dogs and equipment" meant in the context of 'bird watching' and shouldn't it have given him cause to think what was going on?
Assuming (I know, I know) he can read. And think.
Oh, and while I'm here, I read about this in The Telegraph yesterday; where did The Mail get "children" (i.e. plural) from? The Telegraph article implies it was just one kid and her idiot father (the aforementioned Mr Poolman:)
"Father's anger over primary school duck shooting trip
A father has complained that his 10-year-old daughter was left traumatised after what she thought was a school birdwatching trip turned out to be a shooting demonstration
Just not for long…
LMAO!
Ramsey might be rural but we have a Tesco people don’t need to walk around killing animals to survive any more.”
Gah...head banged on table....I'd be more sympathetic if this was a hopelessly ignorant vegan but the bloke goes fishing so he must understand that animal protein involves...animals.
Anyone for a game of "Compo by proxy" ? ...
Where does the precious little dear think her Sunday dinner comes from?
Perhaps McDonalds don't really kill the cows that provide the mush they call burgers?
Bacon?
Squeal little piggy, squeal.
Her father is obviously a twat.
"Where does the precious little dear think her Sunday dinner comes from?"
Tescaburies. Where else?
"Her father is obviously a twat. " Or illiterate, or thick, or inattentive, or expecting nanny state to protect his little princess since he obviously cant do it himself (And I'm sure I've invoked Muphry's law there...)
Whatever the cause, she should be summarily abducted from her obviously neglegant parents and placed into care.
I blame The Mail.
This has distinct echoes of the case of the Romney lamb - one parent trying to whip up a frenzy about something the majority of children - and parents - accepted as a normal part of rural life.
The comments turning up on this story are spectacular even by DM standards; meanwhile the article has firmly drawn its battle lines - 'ducks blasted out of the sky', 'children in tears' - but best of all is the inherent pathos of 'its lifeless body' - you can almost hear the violins.
Mind you, there's nothing in there to touch '...just not for long....' - sheer brilliance!
"...another example of the decline in society that does not auger well if we are in for an austerity future that may last for years."
And there's always more where that came from, which is the worrying thing...
"Seen at The Raccoon's Arms:
Fenton. Fenton! FENTON!
Oh Jesus Christ. FENNTAAAHN!!"
Heh! I loved that vid... ;)
"..where did The Mail get "children" (i.e. plural) from?"
Good question!
"..but the bloke goes fishing so he must understand that animal protein involves...animals."
Given the likely amount of animal protein in most Tesco own-brand stuff, he's probably not that far off the mark!
"Where does the precious little dear think her Sunday dinner comes from?"
PJH is right, I suspect.
"This has distinct echoes of the case of the Romney lamb - one parent trying to whip up a frenzy about something the majority of children - and parents - accepted as a normal part of rural life."
Ahhh, yes! Good old Marcus! Or, as it turned out, 'Market'...
You said back then 'There's something horrific about instantaneous communication in the hands of a baying mob - and none of us is safe.'
Very prophetic, as it turned out.
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