NFU Mutual has called for dog owners to be responsible with their pets around livestock over the Easter holidays, as latest figures have shown that the UK cost of dog attacks on livestock increased more than 50% between 2019 and 2022.
Estimates from the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) rural insurer also show that farm animals in Northern Ireland worth £165,000 were killed or severely injured by dogs last year.
In the wake of these new statistics and ahead of the Easter holidays, NFU Mutual is urging dog owners to act responsibility with their dogs in the countryside around livestock.
Martin Malone, Northern Ireland manager at NFU Mutual, said: “The Easter holidays see many people exploring Northern Ireland’s beautiful countryside, but they must remember these idyllic rural destinations are key to farmers’ livelihoods and are home to millions of sheep and new-born lambs.
“This year’s lambing season is underway across Northern Ireland, so it is crucial all dog owners act responsibly by keeping their dog on a lead in areas where livestock are nearby, especially near vulnerable sheep and lambs.
“The Covid-19 pandemic saw many people owning dogs for the first time, but tragically this has been followed by a sharp increase in the cost of livestock attacks.
“It is hard for people to imagine their friendly family pet could chase, injure or kill another animal – but all dogs are capable of this, regardless of breed or size.
“Even dogs chasing sheep can have serious consequences. We’ve heard reports from farmers where sheep and lambs have drowned, suffocated, been run over or chased off cliff edges because of out-of-control dogs.”
Malone said that, even if a dog does not make contact with a sheep, the distress and exhaustion they experience from being chased can cause a pregnant ewe to miscarry or die.
It can also separate young lambs from their mothers, which can lead them to become orphaned, he said.
“If there is an attack, it is important people accept responsibility and report it, either to the local council dog warden or a local farmer, so that the injured animals are not left suffering,” he said.
Livestock worrying an ‘ongoing concern’
Deputy president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU), William Irvine, said livestock worrying is an ongoing concern for the union’s members, especially at this time of year because “sheep are lambing and the improving weather brings more people into the countryside”.
“Unfortunately, many of our members have fallen victim to livestock worrying and due to the increase in members contacting us about this issue, it does not come as a huge surprise to learn that the cost of dog attacks has risen by 50%, creating extra expense that our farmers bear the brunt of,” he said.
“Farmers are custodians of the countryside, and they work hard to produce high-quality food for consumers all year round.
“It’s extremely disheartening that some dog owners continue to disregard their homes, family farms and livestock in rural areas. Every dog, regardless of the breed or temperament, is a threat to sheep.”
Irvine said that it is critical that dog owners make sure their pet is on a lead at all time and that they have complete control – to protect both the sheep’s welfare and their dog’s.
“This is the only way to ensure no harm comes to livestock or the pet, allowing walkers to enjoy the countryside peacefully,” he said.
The warning comes after NFU Mutual’s survey of over 1,100 dog owners found that despite 64% of owners admitting their dogs chase animals, almost half (46%) believe their dog was not capable of injuring or killing livestock.
Nearly two thirds of owners (64%) say they let their dog roam off-lead in the countryside, but almost four in ten (39%) admit that their pets do not always come back when called.
