NFU Mutual is urging dog owners visiting the countryside this Easter to keep their pets on the lead to avoid dog attacks on sheep and lambs.
The warning comes as thousands of people plan a spring day out with their dogs in the countryside over the holiday period.
NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns said: “This year Easter falls late which means most lambs will have been born and out in farmers’ fields, at their most vulnerable to attacks from out-of-control dogs.
“As a sheep farmer’s daughter, I’m well aware of the hard-work, time and emotion which goes into the lambing season, so it can be utterly heartbreaking for farmers and their families to witness these horrific incidents and deal with the aftermath.”
Dog attacks
Latest figures from NFU Mutual estimate that farm animals worth almost £1.8 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024, a fall of 26% compared to the previous year.
NFU Mutual also found that 57% of owners let their dogs off lead in the countryside but, worryingly, only 40% admitted their pet always comes back when recalled.
A total of 43% believed their dog was capable of causing the death or injury of livestock, up 11% compared to the previous year’s survey.
And if present at an attack, just over half would intervene to stop it, while 20% would tell a local farmer and 17% would call the police.
“All dogs are capable of chasing, injuring and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament,” Binns continued.
“Dogs that attack farm animals are often impossible to call off, and bites can kill and seriously injure livestock.
“Even if the dog does not make contact, being chased can cause stress and exhaustion, as well as separate young lambs from their mothers, which can lead to them being orphaned.
“The Easter holidays is a great opportunity to explore the Great British countryside, but people must remember these idyllic rural destinations are working environments, key to farmers’ livelihoods and home to millions of sheep and new-born lambs,” she added.
NFU Mutual said that many farmers in popular tourist areas dread bank holidays with many dog owners letting their pets run and play off-lead.
Letting your dog off lead in an apparently empty field is not safe either; many attacks result from off-lead dogs attacking sheep which had been hidden from view by a hill or a dip in the ground, according to the insurance company research.
“That’s why it’s so important dog owners act responsibly for their pet and keep them on a lead wherever livestock may be nearby,” Binns added.
To prevent attacks dog attacks on farm animals, NFU Mutual is urging walkers to:
Area Estimated cost 2024 Estimated cost 2023 % change in cost East £97,000 £34,000 +187% Midlands £452,000 £331,000 +36% North East £91,000 £205,000 -56% North West £130,000 £181,000 -28% Northern Ireland £218,000 £147,000 +48% Scotland £102,000 £123,000 -17% South East £139,000 £114,000 +23% South West £225,000 £359,000 -37% Wales £314,000 £883,000 -64% Total £1.8m £2.4m -26%
- Keep dogs on a lead when walking in rural areas where livestock are kept, but let go of the lead if chased by cattle;
- Be aware that all dogs, regardless of size, breed, and temperament, can cause the distress, injury and death of farm animals;
- Report attacks by dogs to the police or local farmers;
- Never let dogs loose unsupervised in gardens near livestock fields – many attacks are caused by dogs which escape and attack sheep grazing nearby.
Case study
A savage attack on a pedigree ewe worth £3,000 is the latest of a series of dog attacks on a Derbyshire couple’s farm in one of the Peak District’s most popular tourist spots.
The pure Vallais Blacknose shearling which had been hand-reared by the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, was found close to death covered in dog bite marks at the couple’s farm near Bakewell in September 2024.
There was no sign of the dog responsible for the attack and a police investigation failed to trace an owner.
Steph Wells, who runs the 450ac farm with her husband, Steven said: “My daughter was devastated – she had hand-reared the ewe and it was so friendly it would come up to people for attention.
Steph explained that the farm’s location high in the Peak District near a popular tourist spot has made it a key destination for dog walkers.
“Unfortunately, we have four footpaths going through the farmyard and then across our land,” she explained.
“Since Covid-19 the paths are teeming with walkers practically every day – and many of them let their dogs roam off-lead.
“Bank holidays are the worst time for us – there are so many people around leaving gates open and allowing their dogs to run wild that we can’t leave the farm.
“Over the years we have lost dozens of sheep in dog attacks. Some have been mauled and left with horrific injuries. Others have been chased until they were completely exhausted,” she explained.
The Wells said that they had ewes aborting their lambs after being chased and lambs abandoned by their mothers after being chased.
The lambs quickly lose heat and often get attacked by crows which pick their eyes out when they’re not being protected by their mothers.
“Last year we even lost a calf that was chased by dogs, causing it to fall and break its leg. It had to be put down,” Steph added.
“I wish people would understand what it does to you when you find one of your animals that you have looked after 24 hours-a-day since it was born, dead or dying in agony simply because a dog had been allowed off-lead and followed its instinct to attack.”
Steven and his wife Steph are the second generation of his family to run the 450ac farm. The couple’s son plans to be the third generation.
They run 850 ewes, rear 150 ewe lambs a year to join the flock and have a 75-head suckler herd.
