A St George farmer is fuming after losing two goats in the space of weeks, as a result of vicious dog attacks.
Jean-Marc Cozier, owner of Market Hill Farms Limited at Market Hill Plantation, said he stands to lose thousands in earnings because the goats were among his best milkers.
The farmer of 35 years, 20 of those years spent at the current location, told Barbados TODAY that dogs killed one of his goats between last night and this morning, while another one was discovered dead on June 7.
But 72-year-old Ernest Bispham, who Cozier claims is the owner of at least one of the animals, is declaring “not my dog”.
Cozier made it clear that he has had issues with stray dogs visiting his farm in the past, but never experienced them killing his livestock. The farmer said he is contemplating taking the matter to court because it is not fair to be losing his animals to unnatural causes.
“These goats are good milking goats. These goats would give you like a gallon of milk each, whenever they are milked, and are valued at approximately BDS $900 each. I will be losing money because I sell goat milk at $24 for a gallon, and over a period of 300 days of lactation of the goat, you could understand what kind of money I will be losing.
Ernest Bispham said he does not own a dog and has no idea whose dog (s) killed farmer Jean-Marc Cozier’s two goats in the space of weeks.
“I went to the gentleman because all I wanted was compensation for my goat. But If I have to go to court for this matter….This isn’t fair that these dogs are allowed to roam. Once dogs start to kill livestock they don’t stop and they hunt at night. It is some little mixed breed dogs.”
Cozier said on June 7, one of his workers notified him that one of his milk goats which was also heavy with young had been attacked. He said when he visited the scene the goat was still alive, but had been torn apart by the bites from dogs.
“But knowing how goats are we left the goat there in the field and at 10 o’clock the night I came back to check and the dog was in the field with another dog chewing on the carcass of the goat.
“When they saw me they tried to run off but I managed to hit one with my shotgun and it appeared to be dead. Then I went over the fence into the enclosure where the goats were and while I was walking towards where the dog and the goat were, the dog scrambled off. The only thing I had on me was my camera and I managed to get photos of the dog at that time,” he said.
Cozier said because he had seen the dog which he shot in the neighbouring Paradise Village, he went to the area and asked residents if they knew the animal’s owner and they suggested it was Bispham’s. He said he then went to Bispham to make a complaint and the older man spoke to him in an aggressive tone, and told him he cannot prove he is the dog’s owner.
Farmer Jean-Marc Cozier looking at the carcass of his goat which was allegedly attacked by dogs.
“I didn’t want any issues with anybody so I left. The police was already informed the day before and up to this date they have not come. I have made no less than about 40 phone calls to Boarded Hall Police Station regarding this first incident and all I am getting is a bunch of promises that somebody will come and investigate the matter. I took photos of the goat and the dog and nothing has happened as yet.
“Now I know there are provisions in the act for charging persons for allowing dogs to stray, or not having licence to keep dogs. I am also in the security business, and having done my investigations, I know the dog is not licensed. And it is still roaming free because it didn’t actually die from the wounds it got. I have seen the dog since then and it is now moving with more dogs,” he said.
Cozier said he also has evidence in his possession showing that there was someone who once lived at Bispham’s house, who posted a picture of the dog which he said he shot, and captioned it “rest in peace Crampie”.
The farmer said he was not pleased when he received another report from a worker today that another goat had been attacked. He said when he went to check out the extent of the injuries, he saw three dogs running away from the scene and he took pictures of them.
Cozier said losing his investment has led him to feel as though he would shut down his farm.
Meanwhile, when Barbados TODAY visited Bispham, he stood his ground that the dog did not belong to him. He argued that even if it was his dog, Cozier told him he had killed it after he mauled the first goat, and should have gotten revenge from that.
“I told him even if the dog did mine, I want to see the dog biting up the goat. You can’t show me a goat yonder and the dog here. You got to show me the dog on the goat biting it up. And he starts then with he war. He wants a war.
“He told me he will carry me to court. Then another two weeks, the same dog that he claimed he killed, I still seeing it all bout the road walking about. But, it is not my dog. It is not my dog,” Bispham said.
Cozier confirmed late this evening that officers from the Boarded Hall Police Station visited his farm to investigate the matter. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
