A man has been banned from keeping dogs for a decade after they ran amok and killed nearly 30 sheep on farmland in Cornwall.
Ross Stone’s dogs also caused near-misses on roads and were alleged to have attacked cats and pet rabbits, magistrates heard.
Despite receiving a Community Protection Notice in May 2024, Mr Stone continued to let his dogs roam.
In December 2024, he was found guilty of breaching the notice five times and was fined £13,000.
On 25 March 2025, Cornwall Council secured a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against Mr Stone at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court, citing ongoing distress caused by his dogs.
Evidence presented to the court detailed multiple attacks on livestock, including the incident where three of Mr Stone’s dogs killed 22 sheep, leading to the euthanization of six more.
Two of the dogs involved were put down, while the third was never found, magistrates heard.
The court was also informed that he had previously been convicted of neglect and causing unnecessary suffering to another dog in July 2023.
Mr Stone, who did not attend the hearing, now has 21 days to rehome his dogs or surrender them to Cornwall Council.
NFU Mutual estimates that farm animals worth almost £1.8m were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024, a fall of 26% compared to the previous year.
In England, the Midlands was the worst-hit region by cost, with dog attacks costing an estimated £452,000, followed by the south west, costing £225,000.
UK law states that dogs must not be dangerously out of control, and all dogs must wear an ID collar and have an up-to-date microchip registered to their owner.
