Hello everyone,
I had a phone call yesterday from the owner of Yard Farm in Churchill who had found another stray dog turning up on their property and also told me that they had two lambs who had recently been killed as a result of an attack by a dog(s). Having found myself during my career attending the aftermath of such attacks, I know only too well the horrific nature of these events and the extreme upset it can cause owners of the animals affected.
Since last month, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 came into force in England and Wales, introducing severe penalties for “livestock worrying”, including unlimited fines and, in some cases, potential dog destruction with police now having the right to seize and detain dogs. The law covers attacking, chasing, or causing distress to livestock, including sheep, cattle, and newly included camelids (llamas/alpacas), even if no physical contact occurs. It is important to also appreciate that, if a farmer actually catches a dog in the act, they have the right to shoot the offending animal if no other course of action can be taken.
It is also important to realise that it is not just the brutality of a dog physically attacking livestock that is the issue but the very real danger that can be caused by chasing animals around, ‘in play’ as some owners seem to imagine. This is never a playful activity as far as the sheep are concerned with not only deaths caused by panic driving flocks into tight corners, etc., and the extreme stress generally experienced when being chased occurring but also the loss of lambs through miscarriage by having been subjected to this. On average 15,000 sheep die annually as a result of such behaviour with the South West being one of the two worst affected area, with the annual cost to farmers from all the effects of livestock worrying amounting to £1.95 million in 2025 alone and 83% of farmers affected.
I know that we are all probably well aware that we should keep our dogs on a lead when walking anywhere where livestock may be present, even if you think that your pet would never run off and chase anything. Most of us may strongly believe that our pets wouldn’t ever do anything like this so having a little run around off the leash would be fine but, sadly, I’ve witnessed people before, very much surprised after their pet is involved in a livestock worrying incident, saying that ‘’they’ve never done anything like that before” and “they always usually come back when I call them”. Remember that it only takes a moment to rush off and trigger such tragic events and be mindful too about keeping dogs secure in the home and garden – the temptation to escape for a wander can sometimes be too much for a dog to resist!
Finally, we also have a number of holiday lets in the parish and some may include properties where guests can bring their dogs as well. Bearing in mind that quite a number may be coming from a home location where livestock doesn’t feature much and their pets are used to running free in parks or similar and, as a result, they may not be familiar with country ways. Consequently, perhaps information to guests can be conveyed in some way, maybe in the property handbook or similar, so that they can be fully informed of the temptations to pets of being in such a beautiful agricultural area and the potential consequences that may occur. Believe me, from experience, I know how devastating it can be for dog owners to be caught in this situation too.
I’m sorry that this is an even longer missive than usual and was not intended to be a lecture but simply drawing attention to the fact that such events happen here in All Saints too and, although I’m certain that everyone knows the importance of what we should be doing to try and avoid future issues occurring, maybe a gentle reminder never hurts.
Thanks,
Michael
Webmaster’s Note: The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 was also noted at the end of the last PRoWlers’ Progress. Even if you don’t find the bulk of the Progress “funny”, both Ricky and Jonny have told me that the intention is to keep you all up to date with important aspects of country living in our wonderful parish. Of course… the choice is yours 😉