Concerns have been raised over the continued failure of UK dog owners to recognise the serious threat their pets pose to farm animals, particularly sheep.
As the annual Sheep Worrying by Dogs Awareness Week is launched, new findings highlight the ongoing scale and impact of the problem.
According to the 2025 survey, a staggering 87% of sheep farmers experienced at least one dog attack on their flock over the past year.
In most cases, the attacks were linked to dog owners refusing to keep their pets on a lead while walking in the countryside.
The National Sheep Association (NSA), which has launched the awareness week, warns that sheep worrying by dogs not only causes suffering to livestock, but is also a cause of stress to farmers.
Its newly released survey results paint a sobering picture: despite ongoing awareness efforts, the message to leash dogs near livestock is still being ignored—often with tragic consequences.
Farmers reported an average of four sheep deaths annually due to dog attacks, an increase from previous years. This figure doesn’t include lambs lost through stress-induced miscarriages.
Beyond fatalities, the injuries inflicted often lead to long-term animal suffering, increased veterinary costs, and financial losses due to reduced stock for sale.
A high proportion (80%) of survey respondents also reported a negative experience when approaching dog owners to ask for their dog to be put on a lead, with just under half receiving verbal and, in some cases, even physical abuse.
NSA project manager, Nicola Noble said: “Dog owners often assume their beloved pet could not be capable of causing harm to other animals, yet it is an instinctive response of a dog to chase.
"Barking, chasing and physical attacks can all have devastating effects on sheep, especially at this time of the year when so many sheep in the fields are heavily pregnant or have young, vulnerable lambs at foot.”
Unsupervised dogs wandering from homes and gardens are also a significant cause of attacks: in 43% of reported cases, the incident wasn’t witnessed, pointing to stray dogs or owners failing to come forward.
Over half of attacks occurred in private fields with no public footpaths—indicating a lack of respect for private land and animal welfare.
Nearly half of surveyed farmers did not seek compensation, many citing a sense of helplessness when dealing with law enforcement.
Despite this, the NSA continues to urge farmers to report all incidents to the police to build a clearer picture of the issue.
