Police have appealed for dog owners to act responsibly after an attack on a flock belonging to farm in Cheshire resulted in 13 dead sheep.
On Sunday 28 February police were called to the farm after the farmer reported the attack by a dog on the loose.
Cheshire Rural Crime Team’s Sgt Rob Simpson warned dog owners to act responsibly and keep their dogs on a lead at all times to avoid livestock worrying.
“The name of the crime literally does it no justice,” Sgt Simpson said. “This is an incredibly easy crime to avoid, by simply keeping your dog in a lead.
Police in the UK are worried about more livestock attacks as more people and their dogs to head to the countryside when restrictions are lifted at the end of the month.
Farmers have a legal right to shoot dogs worrying sheep under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953. Two dogs have been shot and killed after caught worrying sheep locally in recent months.
“When we interview people, they always say ‘my dog has never done this before’. The damage that could be done to our livestock industry could be huge and the impact to the wildlife, very significant;” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has reminded dog owners of the ban on walking on farmland with their pets as the peak lambing season get under way,
National sheep chair of the IFA, Sean Dennehy said there are 2.5 million vulnerable ewes in the country that needed protection and many farmers have put up “No Dogs Allowed” signs across the country.
LSL News.