Unlimited fines have been introduced in England and Wales today (December 18) for dog attacks on farm animals, strengthening protections for sheep, cows and other farm animals.
The new law sees changes to the maximum penalty for the owner of a dog involved in livestock worrying, increasing from £1,000 (about €1,141) to an unlimited fine and police given powers to detain dogs believed to pose an ongoing threat to livestock.
A survey of farmers from the National Sheep Association found that almost four in five (87%) sheep farmers have experienced a dog attack on their flock in the past year, with many reporting multiple incidents.
National Farmers Union (NFU) research published this year also found that the total cost of livestock worrying across the UK in the past year had reached £1.8 million (about €2.06 million).
The Midlands alone saw an estimated £452,000 (about €485,000) worth of livestock harmed by dog attacks, followed by the Southwest at £225,000 (about €256,000), according to the research.
Greater powers
Under the new law, as part of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, the police now have greater powers and can investigate livestock worrying incidents more effectively.
These powers include entering premises to secure evidence or animal DNA, helping to prevent future incidents.
Alongside this, courts will also be able to require offenders to cover the costs of seizing and caring for a detained dog.
These changes are also intended to reduce the emotional and financial strain placed on farming communities from these attacks.
To better reflect the seriousness of certain incidents, the law now distinguishes more clearly between a dog attacking livestock and a dog worrying livestock, which is when a dog an individual owns or is in charge of attacks or chases livestock on agricultural land.
This does not create new offences but is intended to help ensure the law better captures the nature and severity of what has happened.
‘Long journey’
Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle said: ”Livestock worrying can have devastating consequences for farmers and their animals, with sheep, cows and other animals often suffering severe injuries, trauma, or often death.
“These stronger protections will help keep livestock safe and give farmers more confidence that incidents can be quickly and properly investigated.”
Aphra Brandreth, MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, said: “I’m delighted that the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill has now passed through the House of Lords and become law.
“This has been a long journey, first introduced by Baroness [Thérèse] Coffey under the previous government, and I’m thrilled to have taken it forward to finally bring it to this stage.
“This bill updates legislation to give the police stronger powers to tackle dog attacks on livestock.
“These attacks cause distress and financial loss for farmers and harm to animals, so this change will make a real difference in protecting rural livelihoods and animal welfare.”
Brandreth expressed her gratitude for the support the bill received across parliament and from farming groups, the police, and rural communities.
“The act extends protection to incidents that happen on roads and paths, recognising that incidents can occur when farmers move their livestock, for example along a road to another field or milking parlour.
“It also expands the definition of livestock to include camelids such as llamas and alpacas,” she added.
This act applies to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland already have their own livestock worrying legislation.
