NSA kicks off sheep worrying awareness week

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has kicked off its awareness week for sheep worrying today (Monday, March 30), as dog owners are being urged to act responsibly to help tackle this “persistent and devastating” issue.

The NSA has lined up this awareness week with the release of the findings from the farming organisation’s sheep worrying survey, which gathered insight from more than 2,000 dog owners in the UK.

The survey, which ran from January 12 to March 9, found that awareness of the issue was high among respondents, with 97% of dog owners saying that they were familiar with the term sheep worrying.

However, the NSA highlighted a lack of understanding regarding the true impact of the issue ,as 35% of owners believed that dogs being off-lead does not constitute sheep worrying.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker stated that the survey’s findings “show that understanding doesn’t always translate into the right actions.”

“Too many dog owners still underestimate how quickly a situation can escalate when a dog is off lead near sheep,” he said.

Sheep worrying

With most survey respondents reportedly living within two miles of grazing animals, the NSA noted that the survey highlighted how frequently dog walking takes place near livestock.

While findings showed that 79% of owners said they would put their dog on a lead when encountering sheep, almost half of respondents admitted to letting dogs off lead on common land and farmland.

When actually walking the dog, many owners were found to rely on recalling them by name rather than putting them on lead, which is “something farmers know can fail in an instant”, according to the NSA.

The association also outlined that more than 10% of respondents to its survey said their own dog had previously been involved in a sheep worrying incident.

In addition to this, 16% said they had experienced their dog escaping from a garden, which the NSA alerted as as an “often overlooked source of risk to livestock”.

Law

Dog owners were also surveyed about their understanding of the legal consequences following a livestock worrying incident.

The majority of owners were aware that sheep worrying can result in fines, dogs being shot if caught in the act, compensation payments, seizure of the dog, or euthanasia.

However, roughly one in three people did not know that offences could lead to imprisonment or being banned from keeping dogs.

With stronger offences being introduced this month, the NSA recognised that “more needs to be done to communicate the full seriousness of the law” in relation to sheep worrying.

Additionally, the survey investigated methods to increase dog owners’ awareness of sheep worrying, with signage being identified as one of the most effective tools available.

According to the NSA, 72% said that more signage highlighting the presence of livestock nearby would or might encourage responsible behaviour.

Practical measures, such as well-maintained fences and gates, were also supported within the survey, alongside training and awareness campaigns.