A video taken by a Dorset Animal Action (DAN) volunteer showed a two people dragging a pair of lame goats by a collar along the side of the road and into a pen at the “Christmas in Southbourne” event on December 13.
The goats appear to bleat in pain as they are dragged by the neck after lying on the ground.
DAN said it posted the video on social media earlier this week after BCP Council’s “failure to act” when it was asked to investigate being sent the footage on December 15.
The video has prompted concern among residents, while the animal rights group has called on the council to revoke the Bournemouth Goats’ licence and conduct a “broader review” of further live animal displays in the area on the grounds it causes “significant distress” to animals.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Dorset Animal Action noticed Bournemouth Goats advertising their attendance at another Southbourne event on April 4.
“Given the council’s failure to act, we decided to release the footage publicly, hoping that public pressure would encourage BCP Council to revoke their licence.
“We are also calling on BCP to conduct a broader review of live animal displays at future events, on the grounds that they cause significant distress to animals.”
An investigation was opened into reported mistreatment of Bournemouth Goats (Image: Dorset Animal Action)
Mark Jackson, owner of the Bournemouth Goats, said on social media that he had made the decision not to attend the upcoming Southbourne Easter event due to the “reaction from a number of followers and other fb (sic) pages”.
He claimed he was “unable” to use the livestock trailer for the goat safety as part of the temporary enclosure which made move the movement of the goats more dangerous, and added that arrangements at previous events allowed him to park next to the green, but members of the public moved the parking cones which forced him to park further away.
A person involved with the care of the animals said they were not in a position to comment on the video, but that the goats are “looked after appropriately, with their welfare always the priority”.
BCP Council confirmed it was made aware of the video and had concluded its investigation determine whether breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 or the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018 occurred.
Bournemouth Goats
Bournemouth’s cliffside goats are a conservation grazing herd, brought in by BCP Council in 2009 to control scrub and invasive plants on the steep Poole Bay cliffs, boost biodiversity and cut maintenance costs.
The goats number around 50, with plans to grow the herd to about 100 animals, and have become a minor tourist attraction in their own right
BCP Council leader Millie Earl commented under DAN’s Instagram post of the alleged mistreatment: “I’ve picked this up and will be investigating and raising with council officers first thing tomorrow.
“So sad to see.”
Green Party Cllr Simon Bull added: “The mistreatment of these goats is very disappointing to see.
“The attitude of the handlers and the lack of care for the animals will be upsetting to many.
“I have asked the Leader and the CEO of BCP Council for an investigation into this, along with a temporary suspension of any future attendance of events until such an investigation is carried out.”
A BCP Council spokesperson said: “The investigation relating to the handling of the Bournemouth goats during an event held on Saturday 13 December 2025 has concluded.
“We take concerns around animal welfare extremely seriously and it is not accurate to say the council ‘failed to act’.
“As part of the investigation, the licence holder has been provided with a list of actions; including maintaining current welfare standards, ensuring competent staffing levels, completing risk assessments for any future events, and preparing documentation ahead of the licence renewal.
“We have been liaising with the owner on learning of his planned appearance at the Southbourne Green event and can confirm that the Bournemouth Goats will not be attending this or other public events.”
It added the welfare and general condition of the goats had “never been a concern” prior to the investigation and it will to engage with the owner of the goats around the management of the animals.
A petition has now been set up by DAN to ban live animal displays in BCP.
“The continued use of live animals as ‘attractions’ in our public spaces, such as the Bournemouth Goats used in public events, and donkeys and reindeer on ‘display’ at Christmas fairs, is a practice that does not align with the values of our residents or the latest scientific understanding of animal sentience,” it said.