Owner banned from dog walking near livestock after admitting to repeated offences

A dog owner who repeatedly subjected lambs to emotional distress, injuries, and in some cases death, has been charged and ordered to stay away from farms for at least seven years.

Northamptonshire Police said Jose Lopez-Vidal had pleaded guilty to five counts of livestock worrying at Northampton Magistrates' Court on June 2.

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Lopez-Vidal, of Woodford Halse in west Northamptonshire, has also been banned from entering agricultural land, in the presence of livestock, for at least seven years after the court made an ancillary order to guard against further offending, under section 1A of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

Livestock worrying

On March 16, officers said a farmer had called 999 to report that two dogs were chasing two heavily pregnant sheep in a field near Preston Capes.

One of the ewes had given birth to three stillborn lambs before she later died from injuries sustained in the dog attack.

According to police, Lopez-Vidal had identified himself to the farmer as the owner of the out-of-control dogs, named Bandit and Ace.

Links to previous incidents

An investigation by the force's Rural Crime Team identified the dog owner's links to two further incidents at two farms where sheep had been distressed, injured or killed during attacks on December 12, 2024, and February 20 2025.

After pleading guilty to five counts of livestock worrying, Lopez-Vidal was ordered to pay £1,038.27 in compensation, a £533 victim surcharge, £85 costs and fined a total of £1,333.

Emotional and heartbreaking impacts of dog attacks

One of the affected farmers told investigators that they have 'lost confidence' in the public to safely walk their dogs in the countryside following the attacks.

"This incident has really upset me, seeing what my ewes have gone through is heartbreaking," the farmer added.

"The amount of work it took to look after them after the event affected us emotionally, and to then lose one of them is devastating.

"We respect our animals and look after them to the best of our abilities. But I have lost confidence in people who go through our field [because] I am constantly worrying if they will have their dogs on leads, whether they will stick to the footpath or whether I will be verbally abused if I were to ask them to keep their dog on a lead and respect our footpaths."

Walker 'repeatedly failed' to place dogs on a lead

Police constable Chloe Gillies, of Northamptonshire Polices' Rural Crime Team, said Lopez-Vidal's actions had led to unnecessary suffering and heartbreak to the farmers and their livestock.

"The repeated failure of Lopez-Vidal to be a responsible dog owner has caused farmers around Preston Capes and Woodford Halse a huge amount of upset," PC Gillies added.

"Although Lopez-Vidal did identify himself to two affected farmers and apologised to them, he took no steps to change his behaviour or keep his dogs on leads to prevent further attacks.

"By letting his dogs run wild, his actions led to the unnecessary injury and deaths of ewes and lambs, causing heartbreak to the farmers and leaving them suffering financially.

"I am really pleased that he is now subject to a court order preventing him from taking any dogs onto land where livestock is or could be.

"This is the first time I know of that an order like this has been issued in our county, and I hope it demonstrates that the crime of livestock worrying is taken seriously by our force and the courts."

Northamptonshire Police guidance

• Report livestock worrying by calling 101 or online at www.northants.police.uk/RO. In an emergency, such as when a dog is worrying livestock and cannot be stopped, call 999
• Farmers can legally shoot a dog worrying livestock, but only as a last resort when the dog poses an immediate and direct threat and there are no other reasonable means to stop the attack
• Anyone who shoots a dog to prevent livestock worrying must notify the police within 48 hours 
• Keep dogs on a lead and under control when walking through fields of livestock
• Always stick to public rights of way and leave all gates as you found them
• If you live beside land where livestock is grazed, ensure you always know where your dog is, and keep your property secure so your dog cannot escape
• Cows can be curious and may follow walkers. If this happens, keep facing the animal and move calmly and slowly, do not turn your back to it or run
• Steer well clear of young animals and do not try to pet them. Cows and calves will be protective and may become aggressive
• If you feel threatened by cattle when with a dog, let go of the lead so you and the dog can get to safety separately
• Dog owners must bag and bin their dog's poo. It carries a parasite called neospora caninum which causes abortions in animals and the bags left on the ground can be ingested and cause slow painful deaths, or baled into silage and eaten that way

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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