Independent insurance broker H&H has welcomed plans for tougher measures against livestock worrying.
Livestock attacks, when dogs chase, attack or cause distress, can cause significant injury and distress, and can result in the death of the animals. Under the new measures, police would have greater powers to deal with those responsible.
Paul Graham, from H&H Insurance Brokers, which operates across the North of England, the south of Scotland and Wales, said: “The impact of livestock worrying can be devastating, both in terms of the injuries caused to the animals and the stress and upset for farmers from seeing their animals suffer, as well as the financial implications to their livelihood.
“These proposed new measures are a step in the right direction which must also be combined with increasing awareness among dog owners about the importance of keeping their pets on a lead and under control whenever they are around livestock.”
A recent survey of rural crime teams by the National Sheep Association found that 78% of police forces had reported increased rates of dog attacks, with 76% responding to sheep worrying incidents in the last month.
It also found that dogs off a lead and not under control were the main cause of attacks and that proactive use of signage was considered to be the most successful tool in reducing incidents.
Paul said: “Education is key when it comes to combating the increasing rise in livestock attacks, whether that’s through farmers using signs to alert dog owners to the presence of livestock in fields, or reporting incidents to local rural crime teams which will ultimately help highlight the extent of the problem, as well as action being taken for individual cases.”
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament, aims to modernise existing legislation including extending the definition of livestock to include alpacas and llamas and widening locations where enforcement can be taken to roads and paths.