What happens if my dog attacks livestock?
Nelson Emmerich
2025-07-14 00:39:40
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It is a criminal offence for a dog to worry livestock, that is where a dog barks, chases or bites a farm animal. Your dog could be shot if it cannot be brought under control. Between 2013-2017, five police units across the UK reported 92 dogs were killed for livestock worrying. It is against the law to let your dog run and chase livestock. The definition includes attacking livestock as well as chasing them in such a way that a dog is expected to cause injury or suffering and simply being at large in a field where there are sheep. This is a civil liability for keepers of dogs for the damage their dogs cause by killing or injuring livestock. Even if the situation occurred as a result of a dog owner accidentally letting the dog off the lead, you will still be held liable under this law. It is this law where the owner of the livestock can kill the dog/s concerned to halt the attack as a last resort. Livestock worrying is believed to happen more frequently than is currently reported. The peak times for livestock worrying are during the lambing season of January to March however attacks can happen at other times too. In its 2018 rural crime survey, the National Farmers Union reports dog attacks on livestock are estimated to cost £1.6m a year.
Lexus Ortiz
2025-07-13 23:02:45
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It's also a criminal offence to allow your dog to chase or attack livestock. But, even if your dog does not wound an animal, livestock worrying (chasing or attacking) is still a criminal offence. Your dog does not have to physically harm a farm animal for you to be prosecuted. By law, farmers on their own land are also allowed to shoot dogs who worry their animals as a last resort. Dogs who chase – even if they do not catch or bite the livestock – can still cause physical harm to farm animals by running towards them. When livestock are panicked, they may: run away from danger, which can cause injury such as broken bones bunch themselves together tightly in a group, which can also cause injury and fatalities miscarry their unborn young due to worry. If your dog goes to stay with family or friends or is walked by someone else when you're not there, then legally, it is both of your responsibility to keep your dog under control.
Dustin Bechtelar
2025-07-13 22:33:12
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It is currently an offence to allow a dog to worry livestock, with a maximum fine of £1000 issued to those found guilty.
Livestock worrying occurs when dogs attack or chase livestock on agricultural land.
A dog (other than a working dog) can also be regarded as worrying livestock simply being “at large” in a field or enclosure in which there is livestock, that is to say by not being on a lead or otherwise kept under close control.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 June 2021, included new measures to crack down on livestock worrying.
Improved police powers should enable them to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively.
This can make it easier for them to collect evidence and in the most serious cases seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further incidents.
Urgent: If a crime is in progress dial 999.
Non-urgent: Dial 101 to report a crime after it has taken place.
Provide information: Contact Crimestoppers to give information 100% anonymously.
You can submit information online at CrimeStoppers.org or report via the helpline at: 0800 555 111
Hassan Wehner
2025-07-13 22:32:55
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You will be liable if your dog causes damage by killing or injuring livestock i.e. cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats and poultry (including pigeons).
It doesn’t matter that you had no idea your dog was likely to rush off and have a go at the animal nor that you didn’t know there were any livestock in the area nor that you tried your best to stop the incident from happening.
Neither does it matter that your dog didn’t in fact come into contact with any livestock because if it chases animals and they are injured as a result, that is enough.
The bottom line is that if your dog kills or injures livestock you will have to pay compensation to the owner, usually the value of the animal.
If your dog attacks livestock or even chases it on agricultural land you will be guilty of a criminal offence and can be prosecuted and fined up to £1000.00 as well as gaining a criminal record.
If your dog is attacking or chasing after any of his livestock, or even if it’s not but he believes that it is about to, then he can shoot it or otherwise kill it but only if there is no other reasonable way of ending or preventing the harassment of his livestock.