Dog attacks on livestock cost an estimated £2.4 million during the course of 2023, up nearly 30% compared to the previous year, shocking new figures show.
Complacency among some dog owners alongside an inability to control their pets led to the surge, according to NFU Mutual, which has unveiled its anti livestock worrying campaign today.
A survey of over 1,100 dog owners by the insurer found more people were letting their dogs off leads in the countryside last year than in 2022, 68% and 64% respectively.
And worryingly, only less than half (49 percent) said their pet always comes back when called.
Almost 8% admitted their dog chases livestock but 46% believed their dog was not capable of causing the death or injury of farm animals.
More than half (54%) felt they did not need to take active measures to prevent their dog from chasing, NFU Mutual's survey shows.
If present at an attack, 57% of owners would intervene to stop it, 22% would report it to a local farmer and 11% would call the police.
It comes as the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is making its way through parliament.
Industry bodies have welcomed the Bill, which improves powers available to police for dealing with dog attacks on livestock.
But Hannah Binns, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said the increase in the cost of dog attacks on livestock would be 'incredibly alarming news' for farmers.
“We’ve heard reports from farmers about the complacency and naivety of some dog owners who regularly allow their pets to roam off-lead in the countryside.
“There have also been incidences where dogs have chased, injured and killed sheep and the owner is nowhere to be seen."
She explained that some farmers were also living in fear of repeat attacks, which cause suffering to livestock and trauma for all involved in dealing with the aftermath.
“All dogs are capable of chasing, attacking and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament," Ms Binns added.
“We’re urging all dog owners to be responsible for their pet and keep them on a lead when walked anywhere near livestock."
In England, the South West was the worst-hit region by cost, with dog attacks on livestock costing an estimated £359,000, followed by the Midlands (£331,000).
In Lincolnshire, one dog attack incident saw seven sheep drown in a farmer’s pond after being worried by Yorkshire terriers.
The mule ewes were being grazed in a field with a pond along its boundary when the small dogs escaped twice from a property close to Richard Ogg’s farm near Coleby.
One ewe was pulled from the pond, after the dogs got into the field and chased the sheep until they panicked.
Ten days later the dogs escaped again and returned to the field to chase the sheep. This time six ewes drowned.
There have been no further incidents since the attacks took place in spring 2023 but Richard is worried that his flock remained vulnerable to worrying from dogs which have escaped from nearby homes.
“That evening I saw a post on Facebook about some dogs escaping from a nearby house. I went out immediately to check the sheep were all right – but it was too late: I was confronted with a scene like a horror film.
“Since we lost the ewes, I’ve been checking the sheep more often – but we can’t be there every hour of the day and you can’t fence a field to stop small dogs getting in,” he said.
“The threat of dogs escaping from homes or gardens is always a concern for us now. There are footpaths running alongside our grazing land."
