Study commissioned by verderers and New Forest Dog Owners Group shows no evidence at walking spots of neospora parasite which causes cows to abort calves

A SMALL-SCALE study has found no evidence in the New Forest of a parasite linked to dog faeces which can cause cows to abort, after the alarm was raised by a farmer more than a year ago.

Researchers checked 200 samples at nine local sites in August 2022 after the neospora bug was first highlighted in late 2021 when a local farmer lost 18 unborn calves.

The incident sparked stern warnings to dog owners to clean up after their animals – but doubts over their culpability were raised by the New Forest Dog Owners Group (NFDOG) which suggested foxes were to blame.

An investigation by the University of Surrey was commissioned by the verderers, with funding contributed by Forestry England and NFDOG, at areas known to be used by dog walkers.

They included Wilverley Plain and Horseshoe Bottom in Brockenhurst, Holmsley Airfield, Deerleap near Colbury, Moonhills in Beaulieu and Godshill in Fordingbridge.

Although the report stated no neospora caninum had been detected, it added this was “not so surprising, especially given the small scale of the work”.

It also noted: "The prevalence [of neospora] is likely to be higher in dogs who are exposed to tissue from infected cattle (eg farm dogs) than the general dog population."

Official Verderer Lord Manners revealed the findings at the latest Verderers’ Court, but added: “Neospora continues to be a threat to the health of the Forest herd and further research would be needed to ascertain how Forest cattle become infected with neospora.”

NFDOG, which has 1,200 members, welcomed the outcome. Chair Heather Gould told the A&T: “Last year’s loss to the farmer was, as Lord Manners said in the Verderers’ Court, a tragedy.”

She said while neospora was confirmed as the cause, claims that it was being spread on the Forest by dog owners failing to pick up waste was “incorrect”.

She added: “This is now supported by an independent, scientific survey, carried out across the New Forest.

“Irresponsible owners who don’t pick up after their dogs need to be re-educated [and] this horrible habit needs to be stopped but the threat to farmers and the fear of neospora is now effectively lifted and we thank Lord Manners and the verderers both for the work they’ve carried out.”

The study was prompted following the loss of 18 calves belonging to commoner Tom Gould after his nearly 38-strong herd tested positive for the untreatable disease which is spread by dog and fox waste.

Mr Gould, who runs a farm near Bransgore, said he was devastated by the loss.

He has been breeding ponies and cattle for the last two decades and believed the animals were most likely infected by grazing contaminated grass in the popular walking area of Wilverley and Longslade in the summer of 2021.

A report at the time by Dr Alex Crook of Cedar Farm Practice Vets at Ringwood said it was “absolutely devastating” to find that 18 cows had aborted.

It added the stage of pregnancy at which the cows aborted suggested neospora caninum infection, which was confirmed with laboratory tests.

Dr Crook concluded that more awareness was needed among dog walkers to prevent the illness from becoming widespread.