Farmer 'over the moon' by new dog attack laws
BBCA sheep farmer in Herefordshire has said he is "over the moon" with new laws designed to better protect farm animals from attacks in England and Wales.
It comes after it was estimated livestock worth nearly £2m was severely injured or killed by dogs in 2025, up 10% from the previous year, according to insurers NFU Mutual.
From Wednesday, police were given powers to seize dogs and issue owners with unlimited fines, up from £1,000 under previous laws.
John Bishop, a farmer in Colwall, said dogs had been an "absolute nightmare" on his land, adding the new laws were "one of the few things the government has actually got right".
He added: "We've had various problems over the years. I'm sorry to say I've shot five or six dogs of all types, all breeds.
"We had the most beautiful pair of Labradors attacking a ewe. She was still alive and they were actually eating her, it was horrendous.
"I'm sorry to say the owners weren't about, in fact, the dogs were about two miles away from their home.
"The owners were prosecuted, but it was a something of nothing fine. So I'm very pleased they're going to wind up the fines and probably make people more accountable."
The introduction of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, external, will now see:
- The maximum penalty facing those whose dogs attack or chase livestock rise from £1,000 to an unlimited fine
- Police given new powers to seize dogs believed to pose an ongoing threat to livestock and to enter premises to secure evidence or animal DNA
- New powers allowing a court to order an offender to pay expenses associated with seizing and detaining a dog
- Incidents prosecuted even if they occur on roads or public paths, rather than only on private farmland
- The definition of livestock protected by the law expanded to include camelids, such as llamas and alpacas
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