Plea to Shropshire dog owners during lambing season

The recent announcement that the UK Government will be supporting The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Amendment Bill which will give greater powers to police when tackling livestock worrying has been welcome news to farmers and the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

And CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said: “The CLA has long lobbied for greater powers for police to tackle livestock worrying and welcomes this announcement.

“Attacks on livestock cause great distress to farmers and threaten their livelihood. Farm animals worth £1 million were killed or injured by dogs in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2019.

“As lambing season approaches, the CLA is telling dog owners that they must keep their dogs under close control, especially near livestock, and to stick to public rights of way. If you see an incident please report it to police.”

Rural Police Officer, Jim Clark has created ‘Operation Recall’, a national campaign which is bringing together police forces, organisations and the public, creating a platform to achieve a common goal in reducing Livestock Worrying incidents.

He said: “Operation Recall isn’t about persecuting people it’s about education and awareness. From my experience, I can say with confidence I’ve not met any farmer who hasn’t cared for their animals and isn’t deeply upset when an attack occurs.

“Equally, having dealt with a large number of dog owners or persons who should have been in control of a dog at the time of a livestock attack, I can also say that there are very few that don’t care for their dog or indeed the livestock that has been affected, most of the time it’s an unawareness of their surroundings in the countryside.”

If you witness livestock worrying, you can call the police on 999 to report it. If the dog has left the scene of the attack, you can call 101.