Linda Field

I'm writing to ask that you vote to oppose HB1133. This information may be helpful. My son and daughter-in-law own and operate a state licensed goat dairy in Marlborough, NH. They have a guardian dog to protect their herd of goats, as well as their chickens and ducks. A common misconception about guardian dogs is that they are present to attack any predators that come onto the property. In reality, their primary purpose is to act as a deterrent to prevent predators from entering the property in the first place. They do this by marking their territory along the boundaries of the property, and by barking to alert predators of their presence. They have clearly seen at times when we have confined their LGD inside the barn for a period of a week or more (when he was neutered, and when they were replacing their perimeter fence) the coyotes very quickly began approaching and entering their property. While having a perimeter fence MAY prevent predators from entering the property, it still permits them to harass livestock along the fence line, causing stress and reducing productivity. The presence of an LGD keeps predators at a further distance, reducing stress on production animals. The outcome of this bill, whether intended or not, would remove one of the most natural, humane, and effective methods of protecting their livestock from attack or harassment by predators. The use of barking mitigation would effectively eliminate the purpose of having these working animals on the farm, meaning that farmers would have to resort to other, less humane methods of eliminating predators such as trapping and shooting them. At a time when many farmers within the state qualify for medicaid and SNAP, even while also working additional off-farm jobs, the stated fines and loss of livestock would be a crippling blow to our state's farmers. Additionally, this bill appears to be in direct conflict with New Hampshire's "Right-to-Farm" laws intended to protect farmers from nuisance lawsuits. Thank you for your time and consideration,