Livestock worrying remains a serious and persistent issue for farmers across the United Kingdom. Each year, incidents involving uncontrolled dogs lead to the injury or death of sheep and other livestock, often causing significant financial loss and distress for rural businesses.
Recent news coverage from BBC News has again highlighted the scale of the issue, alongside the government’s introduction of stronger legal measures designed to protect farm animals. These changes are set out in the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, which updates legislation that had remained largely unchanged since 1953.
For farmers, the new law represents a welcome step forward. However, even with stronger penalties in place, incidents can and will still occur. Understanding the legislation and ensuring the right protection is in place can help rural businesses manage the consequences when an incident arises.
Raising awareness of livestock worrying
At McClarrons, livestock worrying has long been recognised as an issue that can have serious consequences for both farmers and dog owners. In 2023, we published a series of articles aimed at raising awareness of the risks and responsibilities surrounding livestock worrying, including Livestock worrying guidance – for both livestock and dog owners, How livestock worrying affects the livelihood and finances of livestock owners, and Why livestock worrying should be a worry for dog owners.
The purpose of these articles was to educate both rural businesses and members of the public about the financial, legal and welfare implications of dogs chasing or attacking farm animals. Livestock worrying can result in injury, death, aborted pregnancies and significant disruption to a farm’s income, which is why raising awareness among dog walkers and supporting farmers in managing the risk remains so important.
While prevention and education remain the most effective ways of reducing incidents, attacks unfortunately still occur. That is why it is equally important for rural businesses to consider how they would respond should an incident arise, including whether their insurance arrangements provide the support needed to pursue compensation or deal with the legal consequences.
Why livestock worrying remains a concern
Livestock worrying occurs when a dog attacks, chases or otherwise disturbs farm animals. Sheep are particularly vulnerable, but cattle, goats and other livestock can also be affected.
Even where animals are not directly killed, the stress caused by chasing can result in serious consequences. Sheep may suffer miscarriages, become injured while fleeing or die later due to shock or exhaustion.
The financial impact of these incidents can include:
- Loss of livestock – The loss of an animal is not simply its market value. Farmers may also lose future breeding potential, unborn lambs and the time and investment already spent raising the animal. For breeding stock in particular, the long term value can be significantly higher than the replacement cost.
- Veterinary treatment costs – Animals that survive an attack often require veterinary treatment for bite wounds, injuries caused while fleeing or stress related complications. Emergency care, medication and follow up treatment can quickly result in significant costs.
- Carcass disposal costs – Livestock that are killed or euthanised must be disposed of in accordance with animal by-product regulations. This usually involves collection by a licensed fallen stock service, which can incur additional charges depending on the number of animals involved.
- Disruption to farm operations – Dealing with an attack can take considerable time. Farmers may need to manage injured animals, report the incident and secure fields, all while maintaining day to day operations. During busy periods such as lambing, this disruption can place additional strain on already demanding workloads.
For many farming businesses, a single incident can lead to losses running into thousands of pounds.
What the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 changes mean
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 strengthens the legal framework available to farmers and enforcement authorities when livestock worrying occurs. The legislation introduces several important changes.
- Courts can now impose unlimited fines on dog owners whose animals attack or worry livestock. Previously, the maximum fine was £1,000.
- The law now distinguishes more clearly between attacking livestock and worrying livestock, recognising that chasing animals and causing panic can lead to significant harm even where there are no visible injuries.
- The scope of the offence has also been widened so that incidents can be prosecuted where they occur on roads or public paths where livestock are present, rather than only on agricultural land.
- The definition of livestock has been expanded to include camelids such as alpacas and llamas, reflecting modern farming practices.
- Police have also been given new powers to seize and detain dogs, gather forensic evidence and, where necessary, enter premises under warrant during investigations.
These changes are designed to improve enforcement and provide stronger deterrents against irresponsible dog ownership.
A specialist insurance solution for rural businesses
Rural businesses face a range of legal and regulatory risks that differ significantly from those in many other sectors.
Rural Protect has been designed specifically for farmers and rural enterprises, providing legal expenses protection and access to specialist support when disputes or incidents arise.
The policy can assist with pursuing compensation from third parties responsible for financial loss, as well as providing support for a range of legal matters that may affect rural operations.
Limits of indemnity are available from £250,000 up to £5 million, helping ensure that rural businesses have the resources needed to pursue claims or defend their position when legal issues arise.
Importantly, Rural Protect customers also benefit from access to rradar, a specialist commercial law firm. Through this service, clients can obtain legal guidance and advice on interpreting legislation and understanding how it applies to their business.
Supporting rural clients through changing risks
The introduction of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 highlights a continued focus on protecting livestock and supporting the farming community.
However, legislation alone cannot eliminate the risk of incidents occurring. When livestock attacks do happen, farmers need practical support to recover their losses and navigate the legal process.
At McClarrons, we work closely with rural clients to help ensure their insurance arrangements reflect the risks they face today. Where appropriate, solutions such as Rural Protect can provide valuable support in situations where legal expertise and financial backing are required.
If you would like to discuss how Rural Protect could help protect your farming business, or understand more about the legal protections available following the introduction of the new legislation, our team would be pleased to assist. You can contact our Rural Team on 01653 609152 or at farm@mcclarroninsurance.com.
