RURAL insurer NFU Mutual is mounting a new campaign urging dog owners to keep their pets under control, as horrific attacks on sheep and other livestock continue to take their toll on South West farmers.

Although new research shows more dog owners are putting their pets on leads when livestock are nearby, the insurer is increasingly concerned by reports that many attacks are being caused by dogs which have been let out in gardens, escaping and attacking sheep in neighbouring fields.

The research reveals one in six owners admitted their dog had escaped from home. However more and more people (52 per cent) are allowing their pets to go out in the garden unaccompanied when they’re not at home (up from 43 per cent on last year). 

According to claims figures from the insurer, which insures three quarters of farmers, farm animals worth over £1m have been savaged by dogs in the South West over the past four years.

The South West was the worst affected region of England by cost from 2015-2018.

Known as livestock worrying, dog attacks on farm animals can result in horrific and often fatal injuries. Even if a dog doesn’t make contact, the distress of the chase can cause sheep to die and miscarry their lambs.

The peak time for attacks is from January to April, during the lambing period, which coincides with the period when families visit and stay in the countryside over the coming months.

According to the research carried out this year, 87 per cent of dog owners exercise their pets in the countryside, with more than 60 per cent letting them roam off the lead (down from 64 per cent in 2018).

If there is a sign warning dog owners that livestock are in a field, more people (95 per cent) are putting their dogs on the lead than in 2018, (90 per cent). However, the number of dog owners who said their pet had chased livestock in the past was six per cent. 

Most dog owners (61 per cent) would try to stop a dog chasing a sheep in the countryside and supported measures to crack down on the problem of livestock worrying.

Three quarters of dog owners said they would support heavy fines, 66 per cent would support a ban on dogs from livestock fields during lambing season, while 57 per cent would back laws enabling DNA testing of dogs and 42 per cent would support owners being banned from keeping dogs if their pet had been involved in an attack.

Chris Roberts, NFU Mutual Manager for the South West, said: “While it’s encouraging news that more people are putting their dog on the lead while out in the countryside, dog attacks are still at a very high level. We are receiving increasing reports of local dogs escaping from homes and attacking sheep, either because their owners do not know or do not care that their dogs are roaming wild and causing havoc.

“Thousands of sheep are being killed and horribly mutilated by dogs and we will be redoubling our efforts to raise awareness of the issue, and helping police to bring owners of dogs which attack livestock to justice.

“As the insurer of nearly three-quarters of the UK’s farmers, we are sadly all too aware of the heartbreak and distress that dog attacks cause. For South West small farmers in particular, livestock worrying is devastating because it has a huge impact on their livelihood. While insurance can cover the cost of replacing stock killed and the treatment of injured animals, there is a knock-on effect on breeding programmes that can take years to overcome.”

With many families expected to visit the countryside over the coming months, the insurer is urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead at all times in the countryside and for people to report out-of-control dogs to a local farmer or the police.

Advice for dog owners:

• Always keep dogs on the lead when walking them in rural areas where livestock are kept

• Be aware that even small lap dogs can attack and kill farm animals

• Report attacks by dogs and sightings of dogs roaming the countryside to local farmers or the police

• Familiarise puppies with farm livestock from a young age to reduce the risk of them attacking sheep or cattle as adult dogs

• Don’t let dogs loose in gardens adjoining livestock fields – many attacks are caused by dogs which escape and attack sheep grazing nearby.