Plaid Cymru MP Ann Davies said: "Farmers are left to pick up the pieces, financially and operationally, while also dealing with the emotional strain of losing animals they have cared for. It is evident that current legislation fails to provide adequate protection for livestock against such attacks."
Every farmer knows the heartbreak of seeing livestock injured or killed.
For many, it is not just an animal lost, it is years of breeding, hours of care, and a piece of their livelihood gone in an instant.
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Sadly, dog attacks on livestock are becoming more frequent, and the consequences are devastating.
Cost of livestock worrying
Figures from NFU Cymru estimate that farm animals worth £883,000 were severely injured or killed in Wales during 2023, more than double the previous year.
Across the UK, NFU Mutual estimated the cost at £2.4 million, up 30% from 2022.
Behind those numbers are real families, real businesses, and real disruption to food production.
The problem is not just financial. It is practical.
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A single attack can wipe out a breeding line, impact lambing schedules, and force farmers to divert time and resources to emergency care.
In a recent survey, 87% of farmers said they had experienced dog attacks on their sheep flocks in the last 12 months, and in 78% of cases, dogs were not on a lead.
Pressure on the countryside
Almost half of those incidents ended with sheep being euthanised. They are stark figures, which tell a story of a countryside which is under pressure.
Why does this keep happening? Too often, dog owners underestimate the risk.
A playful chase can quickly turn fatal for sheep, and once the instinct kicks in, even the most obedient dog can cause serious harm.
Farmers are left to pick up the pieces, financially and operationally, while also dealing with the emotional strain of losing animals they have cared for.
Responsibility
What's the answer? It starts with responsibility.
When livestock is nearby, dogs should be on a lead.
Not 'under control', not 'close by', but on a lead. Clear rules make it easier for everyone.
Farmers need confidence that their stock is safe, and dog owners need certainty about what is expected.
Education matters too.
Better signage on footpaths, stronger messaging from councils and police, and public awareness campaigns can all help.
And when attacks do happen, farmers should have the backing of enforcement to act quickly and fairly.
It is evident that current legislation fails to provide adequate protection for livestock against such attacks.
Legislation
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, now over 70 years old, is widely considered unfit for purpose.
According to the Farmers' Union of Wales, current legislation does not reflect the profound welfare, emotional, and financial consequences that dog attacks have on farmers and their livestock.
Reform is long overdue.
In May, as a member of the committee discussing Chester South and Eddisbury MP Aphra Brandreth's Private Member's Bill, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, which aims to change that.
I drew on my experience as a tenant dairy farmer to highlight the devastating impact these attacks can have, suggesting an amendment on how protections could be improved.
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Farmers do not ask for favours. They ask for fairness.
They ask for a countryside where their animals are safe and their work respected.
Because once the damage is done, once a flock is destroyed, it cannot be undone.
If you are walking your dog near farmland, please remember: a lead is not a restriction, it is a safeguard.
For farmers, for livestock, and for the trust that binds our rural communities together.
Take the Lead
You can support Farmers Guardian's 'Take the Lead' campaign, in association with the National Sheep Association, to raise awareness of keeping dogs on lead when near livestock.
We can provide you with free signs, in English and Welsh, to place around your farm warning dog owners to keep their dogs on a lead near livestock.
To request yours, send a stamped self-addressed A4 envelope to: FG Take the Lead, Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9NZ.
We will be able to send up to 25 signs.
Alternatively, you can contact reporter Chris Brayford if you have been a victim of a livestock worrying incident and if you wish to share your story at [email protected].
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