The issue of sheep worrying by dogs continues to be a major cause for concern for farmers.
A recent survey conducted by the National Sheep Association has shown that 78% of rural crime teams reported an increase in dog attacks over recent years.
Of that, 76% of forces said that they respond to sheep worrying by dog incidents at least once per month, with 33% of them dealing with incidents on a weekly basis.
Most police forces contributing to the survey (57%) stated that sheep worrying by dogs was their most frequently reported rural crime.
NSA project manager Nicola Noble who leads NSA sheep worrying awareness activity said: “Over recent years NSA has increased its working relationship with the police on this issue.
“This year it made sense to delve further into this during our annual campaign week and ask rural crime teams to share their experiences of sheep worrying attacks with us in our annual survey.”
