A DOG owner has spoken out after her pet had an electric shock from a fence on the Malvern Hills.

Anne Doody says her one-year-old cocker spaniel Rosie was electrocuted when she and her husband Colin were resting on their walk up to the Worcestershire Beacon.

The couple, who are both aged 64 and live in Malvern, say they have walked on the hills about a dozen times since they moved to the town 18 months ago, but have never seen any signs warning of the electric fences.

But Malvern Hills Conservators insist there are signs on the hills at regular intervals.

“We paused to sit on on a bench in front of what appeared to be an orange twine fence,” she said.

“It was quite overgrown on the other side and my husband said I wonder if it’s electrified?

“I touched the top of the fence and it was okay. Rosie touched the bottom part with her tail and it was electrified.

“It gave her quite a jolt. She was screaming for a few seconds.

“I hate to think what could have happened if a baby touched it.”

The incident happened a couple of weeks ago on the first bend uphill from the Wyche Cutting car park.

Duncan Bridges, the director of Malvern Hills Conservators, said stock grazing is restricted in the hills with electric fencing.

He added the conservators publicise which areas are being grazed, adding there are signs on the hills explaining where grazing is happening and that electric fencing might be used.

“There are ‘Electric Fence’ warning signs at regular intervals along the lengths of the fencing itself,” he said.

“And wherever these fences cross a path there is a gate and sign warning it’s an electric fence.

“We also place such signs wherever they are in particularly prominent locations such as by benches and path junctions.”

The conservators were not able to check the exact location of the reported incident before the Malvern Gazette went to press.