Appeal for dog owners to act responsibly near livestock
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is again urging dog owners to act responsibly in a bid to taclke the persistent and devastating issue of sheep worrying.
Sheep worrying is defined as any incident where a dog attacks, chases, or causes stress to livestock. This includes not only physical injury or death, but also the distress caused by dogs running loose near sheep, leading to serious welfare issues such as miscarriage, separation of ewes and lambs and long-term flock disruption.
For the first time, NSA has gathered insight directly from the UK’s dog-owning public through its annual sheep worrying survey.
Completed by more than 2000 respondents, the findings reveal that while reported awareness of sheep worrying is high, understanding and behaviour are not always aligned, leading to sheep worrying cases.
Of those who responded, 97% said they were familiar with the term sheep worrying, however, only 65% recognised that dogs being off-lead near sheep can also constitute sheep worrying.
Encouragingly, many associated the issue with stress and disturbance to livestock and not just physical attacks, but the gap in practical understanding remains a concern.
With most respondents living within two miles of grazing animals, the survey also highlights how frequently dog walking takes place near livestock.
Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive said: “While it is encouraging awareness of sheep worrying is increasing, these findings clearly show that understanding doesn’t always translate into the right actions.
"Too many dog owners still underestimate how quickly a situation can escalate when a dog is off lead near sheep.”
The concept of a dog being ‘under control’ continues to present a grey area. While 79% of respondents said they would put their dog on a lead when encountering sheep, almost half (44%) admitted to letting dogs off lead on common land, and 31% on farmland. Many rely on recall rather than physical restraint – something farmers know can fail in an instant when a dog acts on instinct.
Mr Stocker added: “Even the most well-trained dog can behave unpredictably around livestock. What many owners see as harmless exercise can have devastating consequences for farmers, emotionally and financially.”