Good Evening,
I have a big dilemma. The farm beside me have issues with animal welfare, they hold both sheep and cattle on a rented property from the crown estates. Over the years sheep have been left to die in the fields, and if in remote areas not collected. Cattle have been left with large overgrown hooves, or in an emaciated state until they eventually die. Dead and collected livestock are left lying about the farmyard until collected by the disposal company. My dilemma is that I get on ok with the farmer, but not the son, who has been very confrontational over the past year. So much in fact I've stopped speaking to the father. My company has been degraded in vile facebook postings by him, and threats made to shoot my geese, ducks and chickens if seen in his fields. During the Beast from the East snow storms I rescued a newly born calf from a snowdrift and herded them both back to his farm undetected. The cow was described by the farmer as feisty and appeared in another field recently with calf when the other cows were put out from the barn, however at night when they were put back in this cow and calf remained in the field. The son just opens the gate and cows wander back to barn on their own. Yesterday, concerned for the calf I walked down the track which they were both stood beside in the field. The calf was saturated, weak looking and shivering. I took some photos of the poor calf and mother. On my way home tonight as I drove up the track, I noticed the cow standing alone. On walking back down I spotted the calf dead and lying in the burn, of which I also have photos. The track is used regularly throughout the day by the farmer and son, and with the temperature drop over the past couple of days, and the snowfall should have been more than aware of the vulnerability of the calf.
The dilemma is do I use these photos to talk to the farmer, to get him to do something about the son, or do I just contact Animal Welfare (or SSPCA) and let things take they're course? Would it result in any convictions and the loss of their tenancy? Would I suffer more hassle from them?