It is a CRIME for your sheep to be worried or attacked by a dog
Worrying includes:
- Sheep feeling unsafe with a dog among them
- Sheep moving to a corner of a field to get away from a dog being walked
- Sheep being chased by a dog (even if the dog does not bite the sheep)
Attack includes:
- Severe chasing of sheep e.g. into a steam where they drown
- Biting - however minor
- Scaring them to death - many sheep die of shock
- Killing them
If a dog has carried out any of the above acts on your sheep you have the right to call the police who have several steps they can take - please see the section on this website called ' Understanding the Law'.
We must act to get your losses paid for by the dog owner.
We must act to get your losses paid for by the dog owner.
Please see the leaflet below for some basic guidance on what to do!
How to get compensation
How to get compensation
We know that it is not just the injury to the sheep that is the cost but also - if the sheep is killed it is the cost of their future lambs that will never be born, the stress and worry of it happening again, vets bills, time, the suffering of the sheep and so much more. We want to help sheep keepers get compensation for the loss to your stcok, your emotional loss and your capitial loss. The law is there to protect you (and protect the welfare of sheep) - we need to use it!
Follow these simple suggestions so you can make sure you gather all the evidence you need and provide the right people with the right information.
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Number 1
All sheep worrying or attacks are a crime so please insist that the police provide you with a crime number. If they have any doubt about their requirement to do so, please refer them to our website and ask for their identification number. Number 2
Collect every shred of evidence you can find. Your mobile phone is usually a handy bit of kit for collecting photographs, making notes of names / numbers of witnesses, noting any breed or colouring of dogs. Also keep note of time you spent sorting the problem out, any vets bills, any abortion numbers (especially if abnormally high), any deaths or injury, make note of whether you felt at risk from the dog/s and why, note the direction the dogs left in, note clothing of anyone with the dogs, likely time of attack. If the dog is not attacking but worrying, please also note all the above (except obviously injury / deaths). Make sure the general public / witnesses give their name and number as it is a crime and so they must provide details. Give all this information to the police. Number 3 Use the law - it is there to support you and to get a conviction. We have all the laws we need, we just need to make sure the police use them when the evidence is there. We need to get convictions like the one in the leaflet so it acts as a deterrent and educational tool. |
Working with the Police
Phone the police using 101 for worrying and 999 for an attack and insist on a crime number. It depends what else is happening as to whether they can attend your situation immediately - this is why you must gather all the evidence you can.
The police should then come and interview you, record their own findings and evidence, and collect anyon evidence from you.
Based on the information they gather, they should then be able to follow one of the legal channels listed in 'Understanding the law' section of this website.
Insist that this happens if you have any idea of who the dog owner is or there is enough evidence to locate them - ie a name on a collar.
If the police respond quickly and you think you know who owns the dog, the police can go to the house and ask to see the dog. If there is blood on the dog they can begin to follow a line to prosecution.
The police should then come and interview you, record their own findings and evidence, and collect anyon evidence from you.
Based on the information they gather, they should then be able to follow one of the legal channels listed in 'Understanding the law' section of this website.
Insist that this happens if you have any idea of who the dog owner is or there is enough evidence to locate them - ie a name on a collar.
If the police respond quickly and you think you know who owns the dog, the police can go to the house and ask to see the dog. If there is blood on the dog they can begin to follow a line to prosecution.
If the police need support or are having difficulty please contact
SheepWatch UK immediately so we can help and link with police advisors.
SheepWatch UK immediately so we can help and link with police advisors.
Information about relevant laws to protect sheep from dog attacks is here