Animal Welfare To Monitor Farms With Drone

[inez]

There is a helicopter that flies our area at night, I greately suspect it has infrared because some nights Im walking the paddocks minding my own business checking stock, usually because Ive heard them running so go to check they are ok.

9 times out of ten if it comes anywhere near next thing I am feeling like a scene from star treck with beam me up scotti.

One night I was actually riding one of my horses and to my horror the idiot turned the beam on us. My horse panicked and bolted. Not happy Jan.

That time I rang the local Police and made an official complaint. Thought there had to be a flight plan somewhere, think maybe it worked as havent been lit up since.

[raz]

A friend lost her horse to a broken neck after Horizon power spooked the horses while checking power lines with their jet helicopter noisy whatever thing it was.

Wow just wow. Yet the livestock owners are the target.

[Weasels]

2 of my folks' 3 horses used to get spooked by the line-checking helicopters too (there are lines going through the paddock) - until my mum gave them a massive earful so now they check them from much higher up with binoculars. Poor things, must have been terrifying for them

A colleague of mine once said to me when we were working in rural NSW - "these people live out here for a reason". Generally people on property aren't the type to want people in their pockets, and value their space and privacy - which is completely separate from whether they are doing anything wrong.

(Edit - slightly OT but one time when the helicopters went over the youngest horse ran straight to the boundary fence to the next-door sheep, and they touched noses to comfort each other! Sweetest. Thing. Ever.)

Edited April 1, 2013 by TheLBD

[wings]

Another horse owner here so very used to the way our animals can, and will, dump using their brain and go into a complete freak out mode when rattled... and a lot of harm can come from that

I hate the idea that because I breed horses, or my lovely neighbours who breed cows, are guilty until proven innocent because we chose a career the "public has interest in."

It's my land, I'm breaking no laws, surely I have the right to my privacy? If someone has concerns they can take it up to the relevant authorities.

[raz]

Another horse owner here so very used to the way our animals can, and will, dump using their brain and go into a complete freak out mode when rattled... and a lot of harm can come from that

I hate the idea that because I breed horses, or my lovely neighbours who breed cows, are guilty until proven innocent because we chose a career the "public has interest in."

It's my land, I'm breaking no laws, surely I have the right to my privacy? If someone has concerns they can take it up to the relevant authorities.

YES! Well said.

[LisaCC]

Perhaps it might help to write/call an animal WELFARE representative and talk to them about your concerns regarding spooked animals. These people will actually understand that and may be able to help in some way? Those who work in Animal Welfare are generally against the methods used by Animal Rights organisations.

[espinay2]

We have someone with an Ultralight near us who for some reason likes to go 'look' at people houses on surrounding properties (including ours). I can tell you it is quite distressing for a number of people, including us. Having someone flying around 'looking' at you and your property - like they are casing the joint - is not nice. It distresses the animals and us too. Now I know people who have had this done to them have had stock and property go missing. Coincidence? Nothing can be proven.... Complaints have been made to CASA, but as they want photos as proof, that is not always easy. Go out with the camera and he is off out of range of a decent shot. We have nothing to hide, but we also have a right to quiet enjoyment and to feel safe from intrusion. Note my OH flies radio controlled aircraft. But he darned well doesn't fly them around the animals and he doesnt fly them on other peoples property unless there specifically with permission to do so.Also note we do have other aircraft fly over - during the recent bushfires we were in the direct line of the water bombers and helicopters and we are also sometimes under the Sydney holding pattern for high flying jets. The odd helicopter also traverses our place further down the property. These we don't mind one bit as going over our place is just incidental of getting to where they are going.

Edited April 2, 2013 by espinay2

[Steve]

I have to say Im pretty used to it .Before I moved here I had a property very close to the local airport and we used to joke that the RAAF used to use the garden furniture in our front yard as their marker to start having the troops jump when they were training . Some of the smaller planes often buzzed us and could see anything I had in my yard. At this property - Every year when the local show is on they bring in a helicopter and give joy rides which just happen to go over my property a couple of dozen times a day . google earth have a pretty good shot taken last December of my property too.

Ive nothing to hide either but there is a difference between having a plane fly over because that's where they are going, google earth for general info which shows up buildings roads etc and a drone coming in with an assumption that you are a criminal and trying to catch you out on something - getting close enough, quietly enough, to see if you have any pants on or what machinery,and equipment you have,where you keep it etc. I thought about this yesterday when we were moving sheep from one area to another,they were actually in one area in the morning for about half an hour without shelter and water .They had humans and dogs out there with them the whole time none of which had shelter or water and none were too hot or too thirsty but a drone flying over and taking photos doesn't qualify it was in the high teens temperature,nice comfortable autumn weather and they were only there for less than an hour either.

Drones are so easy to get cheaply now that I doubt anyone is going to stop them doing what ever they want . While ever the TV stations and newspapers lap up what ever is handed to them and ruin people's lives before they are found guilty it will only get worse.

Fascinates me that we have an Australian in England who has been accused of being involved in sexual assault but no one can name him for legal reasons - yet you can name a farmer or a dog breeder who is accused of throwing chicken frames out to feed the dogs or who doesn't have enough trees in their paddocks.

[Salukifan]

The farmers groups can simply invest in a few of these. Bye bye spy drones... a Predator drone will solve the problem. :)

[GeckoTree]

I am going to paint a cock and balls on my roof for googles and dronewanks with GT says Hi.

[raz]

The farmers groups can simply invest in a few of these. Bye bye spy drones... a Predator drone will solve the problem. :)

LMAO. I think I love you, poods. The sequel to Tomorrow When The War Began can be crowd funded

[Aidan3]

You can buy these drones for a couple of hundred bucks. The neighbours grandkids were flying one around controlled with their iPad at Christmas.

[mixeduppup]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

[Diva]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

[LisaCC]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

Yes as already mentioned, Animal Welfare would not risk the welfare of animals to do this. Animal Rights is very different.

[mixeduppup]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

Yes as already mentioned, Animal Welfare would not risk the welfare of animals to do this. Animal Rights is very different.

It says in the story that it's Animal Welfare that are doing it.

[Diva]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

Yes as already mentioned, Animal Welfare would not risk the welfare of animals to do this. Animal Rights is very different.

It says in the story that it's Animal Welfare that are doing it.

The news story describes them as an animal welfare group, but names them as Animal Liberation. Animal Liberation is an animal rights group, not welfare. Views domestic animals as equivalent to human slavery and all that agenda.

[mixeduppup]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

Yes as already mentioned, Animal Welfare would not risk the welfare of animals to do this. Animal Rights is very different.

It says in the story that it's Animal Welfare that are doing it.

The news story describes them as an animal welfare group, but names them as Animal Liberation. Animal Liberation is an animal rights group, not welfare. Views domestic animals as equivalent to human slavery and all that agenda.

Oh OK, it could be worded better. Animal Liberation are just PETA under a blanket

[Diva]

I went out to check on my horse today and the neighbours have just purchased a drone like machine and were flying it over her paddock. My mare is bombproof but the filly next door was bolting everywhere. This drone would be half the size of the welfare drones I would imagine and 20 or so meters above the paddocks. I can't imagine how much damage she could have done if it was larger and closer. I see lawsuits in Animal Welfare's future.

Hate to be picky but these people aren't about welfare, and neither will their drones be.

Yes as already mentioned, Animal Welfare would not risk the welfare of animals to do this. Animal Rights is very different.

It says in the story that it's Animal Welfare that are doing it.

The news story describes them as an animal welfare group, but names them as Animal Liberation. Animal Liberation is an animal rights group, not welfare. Views domestic animals as equivalent to human slavery and all that agenda.

Oh OK, it could be worded better. Animal Liberation are just PETA under a blanket

Yep

[OSoSwift]

They are welcome to fly it over my place, they won't get it back in one piece, but hey :)