Emily Herrera

Hello, my name is Emily Herrera and we moved here last summer to start our independent farmstead in Belmont, New Hampshire. I am writing in opposition to the proposed bill that would restrict the use of Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) in our state. As a Right-to-Farm state, New Hampshire has long recognized the importance of protecting agricultural practices that are essential to farm viability. Livestock Guardian Dogs are not pets, they are working animals, bred strategically for generations and trained specifically to protect livestock from predators. On our farm, our Great Pyrenees and Anatolian-Pyrenees are a critical part of our operation. Without them, we would face significant and ongoing losses from coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bears, feral dogs, and predatory birds native to our region. Guarding livestock is their job. Barking is one of the primary tools they use to do that job. It is a preventive measure — a warning that keeps predators away before livestock are harmed. Our LGD’s establish a perimeter around our property making clear that predators will be challenged. Requiring farmers to justify or “prove” each instance of barking fails to recognize the fundamental nature of how these dogs work, and also places an undue burden on the farmers to now purchase trail cameras or set traps to prove predatory activity. The working radius of LGD’s can effectively reduce predator activity for miles, and offer a mutual benefit to neighbors with backyard poultry, small pet dogs, or indoor/outdoor cats as well. If LGD’s are prevented from doing their job effectively, using their natural range and barking, small farm operations like ours will suffer devastating losses and means that we will lose livestock that feed our family and our community. Without proper protection, we won’t have livestock — we will have deadstock. This bill would not only harm our independent farmstead, but would also put many small and family farms across New Hampshire at risk. Livestock Guardian Dogs are a humane, non-lethal, and widely accepted method of predator control. Restricting their use undermines both animal welfare and the sustainability of local agriculture. Moreover, any legislative definitions of livestock guardian dogs should define them as working dogs and should be allowed to register them as such, and also allow for exemptions from dog license fees as they are not pets they are a critical component to farm operation. As pack animals, often 2 or more LGD’s patrol areas of 5-10 acres, with more dogs required to maintain safety on larger parcels. Also, these dogs are most active at night and may utilize persistent barking to keep predators at bay, so farmers should not be penalized with fines or burden of proof due to the nature of these working dogs. I respectfully urge you to oppose this bill and to stand with New Hampshire’s farming community. Protecting our ability to use Livestock Guardian Dogs is essential to preserving the future of agriculture in our state. Thank you.