NFU Mutual has estimated that around £1.8m worth of farm animals were injured or killed in dog attacks in the UK last year.
The UK insurance composite has urged pet owners to keep their dogs on a lead this Easter, as it expects thousands of people to plan a spring day out with their dogs in the countryside over the holiday period.
In Northern Ireland, there was an estimated cost of £218,000 due to dog attacks in 2024, up 48% on the previous year.
NFU Mutual also found that 57% of owners let their dogs off lead in the countryside, but only 40% admitted their pet always comes back when recalled.
The insurer’s rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns said 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.”
Survey
A total of 43% of respondents believed their dog was capable of causing the death or injury of livestock, up 11% compared with 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.
NFU Mutual has also warned that letting your dog off lead in an apparently empty field isn’t safe either, as many attacks result from off-lead dogs attacking sheep which had been hidden from view by a hill or a dip in the ground.
“All dogs are capable of chasing, injuring and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament. Dogs that attack farm animals are often impossible to call off and bites can kill and seriously injure livestock,” added Binns.
“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.
“We know many farmers in popular tourist areas dread bank holidays, with many dog owners letting their pets run and play off-lead."
Case study
An dog attack on a pedigree ewe worth £3,000 occurred 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.
“My daughter was devastated, she had hand-reared the ewe and it was so friendly it would come up to people for attention,” said Steph Wells, who runs the 450-acre farm with her husband Steven.
“Unfortunately, we have four footpaths going through the farmyard and then across our land,” she said.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Read more
Gardaí investigating after lamb found hung from gate
Four lambs put down after dog attack in Kildare
Minister warns dog owners of financial devastation of dog attacks
16 sheep killed in Kerry dog attack
NFU Mutual has estimated that around £1.8m worth of farm animals were injured or killed in dog attacks in the UK last year.
The UK insurance composite has urged pet owners to keep their dogs on a lead this Easter, as it expects thousands of people to plan a spring day out with their dogs in the countryside over the holiday period.
In Northern Ireland, there was an estimated cost of £218,000 due to dog attacks in 2024, up 48% on the previous year.
NFU Mutual also found that 57% of owners let their dogs off lead in the countryside, but only 40% admitted their pet always comes back when recalled.
The insurer’s rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns said 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.”
Survey
A total of 43% of respondents believed their dog was capable of causing the death or injury of livestock, up 11% compared with 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.
NFU Mutual has also warned that letting your dog off lead in an apparently empty field isn’t safe either, as many attacks result from off-lead dogs attacking sheep which had been hidden from view by a hill or a dip in the ground.
“All dogs are capable of chasing, injuring and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament. Dogs that attack farm animals are often impossible to call off and bites can kill and seriously injure livestock,” added Binns.
“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.
“We know many farmers in popular tourist areas dread bank holidays, with many dog owners letting their pets run and play off-lead."
Case study
An dog attack on a pedigree ewe worth £3,000 occurred 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.
“My daughter was devastated, she had hand-reared the ewe and it was so friendly it would come up to people for attention,” said Steph Wells, who runs the 450-acre farm with her husband Steven.
“Unfortunately, we have four footpaths going through the farmyard and then across our land,” she said.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Read more
Gardaí investigating after lamb found hung from gate
Four lambs put down after dog attack in Kildare
Minister warns dog owners of financial devastation of dog attacks
16 sheep killed in Kerry dog attack
SHARING OPTIONS