Dog owners urged to keep pets under control near sheep
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DOG owners are being urged to keep their pets under control in the countryside over Easter, amid a sharp rise in the number of attacks on sheep and lambs.
The Scottish farm industry lost more than £330,000 last year as a result of such attacks.
And, with lambing under way, young sheep are especially vulnerable to attacks. Indeed, insurance firm NFU Mutual has revealed that the average cost of claims for farm animals killed or injured by dogs more than doubles during the first three months of the year.
It said that almost seven per cent of owners admitted their pets had chased farm animals in the past and one in ten owners don’t put their pets on a lead if they see a sign warning that livestock are in a nearby field.
While the majority of owners let their dogs off the lead, less than half (42 per cent) said their pet always came back when called.
NFU said it was also increasingly concerned by reports that many attacks are being caused by dogs which have been let out in gardens and escape to attack sheep in neighbouring fields. Its research found that 43 per cent of owners allowed their dog to go outside unaccompanied while they were not at home.
“These attacks cause tremendous suffering to livestock and are hugely distressing for farmers and their families who have to deal with the aftermath of an attack,” said Tim Price, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual.
“Much of this heartbreak could be prevented if owners kept their dogs under control – either on a lead or secure in gardens - whenever farm animals could be nearby.
“As the insurer of nearly three-quarters of the UK’s farmers and many smallholders, we are working with police and farmers’ groups to tackle this issue and reduce the anguish and huge financial loss that dog attacks cause.”
NFU Mutual is providing farmers with signs warning dog walkers that livestock are grazing in fields and is calling for people to report any sightings of out-of-control dogs to a local farmer or the police. The insurer has also backed proposals by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to make livestock worrying a recordable offence.
