There have been serious incidents of sheep worrying in the parish, leading to injury and death of livestock affected and issues for livestock owners and dog owners.
Worrying means:
- attacking livestock
- chasing livestock in such a way that it would be reasonable to expect it to cause injury or suffering
- not having a dog on a lead or under close control in the vicinity of livestock.
Any dog may attack livestock. Owners must ensure their dogs are well trained, secure and cannot escape from their home/gardens. Dogs should be kept on leads when near livestock, including on rights of way in or adjacent to fields where livestock are kept. (There are exemptions: police dogs, working dogs that are working at the time, assistance dogs).
It is an offence to allow a dog to worry livestock. The owner may be responsible for offences including criminal damage, prosecution for offences, a fine and liability for compensation. Owners of livestock, or the land on which they are kept, may kill or injure a dog in order to protect the livestock when a dog is worrying or about to worry the livestock.
If you see a dog chasing or otherwise worrying livestock report it to the police with as much information as possible and an accurate location. If the incident is happening a crime is taking place and you should call 999. If livestock have been attacked and dogs have left the location call 101 as a crime is not then taking place – again provide as much information as possible.