DOG owners are being warned to keep their pets under control in the countryside after farmers shot five dogs who attacked their sheep and unborn lambs.
The incidents at Lower Shuckburgh near Daventry and Ladbroke saw the dogs and a number of pregnant sheep killed.
New figures show the cost of dog attacks on livestock in the Midlands reported to Stratford-based rural insurer NFU Mutual more than doubled in 2016. Claims rose from £25,000 to nearly £56,000 in the past year.
Between January and April, when pregnant ewes and lambs are often grazing on low-lying pasture in areas more accessible to walkers, the cost of claims more than doubled.
Police are now warning owners to keep dogs on their leads around livestock.
PC Mike Barnett said: “We are starting to have problems with dogs. Farmers are within their rights to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land.
“To lose sheep and unborn lambs has a big effect on farmers’ livelihoods. To lose a loved pet causes huge upset for dog owners too.
“All it takes to avoid this distress is to keep dogs on leads and make sure they cannot get out and run loose.”
With many families expected to visit the countryside during half-term and the Easter holidays, NFU Mutual is urging people to keep their dogs on a lead at all times.
Tim Price, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “It’s not just big, aggressive-looking dogs that attack livestock – well-behaved family pets can worry sheep or cattle. And once a dog has attacked livestock, there is a high probability that it will strike again.
“Dog owners need to be especially careful at this time of year when they’re out for their usual walk, as there may be a flock of sheep on their route which wasn’t there yesterday.
“We are sadly all too aware of the heartbreak and huge financial loss that dog attacks cause. Unfortunately, not all farmers are insured and they can face substantial costs if they lose a number of animals.
“For small and hobby farmers in particular, livestock worrying is devastating. While insurance can cover the cost of replacing stock killed and the treatment of injured animals, the stress of worrying can cause ewes to abort their lambs. This leads to a knock-on effect on breeding programmes that can take years to overcome.
“The number of incidents reported to us is a small fraction of the total, which we estimate cost the industry £1.4million last year.
“We are seeing higher individual costs of claims resulting from worrying, which may be due to an increase in numbers of some pedigree and rare breed sheep.”
Farmers can give signage to put up on their properties by contacting local police. Visit www.warwickshire.police.uk/myarea to find out more.
