Police have warned the public to keep dogs on a lead when near livestock following a deadly attack on sheep in Cheshire.
Cheshire Police’s Rural Crime Team attended a report of an attack near Chester, which resulted in the death of two sheep with another being seriously injured.
"In this case the owner of the dog did not do the responsible thing, and failed to report the matter to the livestock owner and the police," the force said on social media.
"As we have said it many times before, please keep your dog on a lead. We have heard too many times 'my dog wouldn’t do that' and 'I’ve walked this route for years'.
"However, you can never predict the actions of your dog no matter how well behaved or trained it is," the Rural Crime Team said.
It added that the livelihood of the livestock owner such as the time spent purchasing the animal, rearing the sheep and the other costs involved, was also affected.
Anyone with any relevant information have been told to contact the police on 101 or via the Cheshire Police website, quoting reference number 23000009409.
It comes after Kent Police said a loose dog killed 27 sheep on farmland in Teynham, with it being called "possibly the worst livestock attack ever".
The ewes, which were all believed to be pregnant, were attacked between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
Farm animals worth £1.52 million were injured or killed by dogs in the UK in 2021, according to NFU Mutual.
The worst hit regions by cost in 2021 were the South East, with farm animals worth £266,000 killed or injured by dogs.
This was followed by the Midlands (£242,000) and the South West (£228,000).
