Sheep worrying

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neilst

Well-Known Member
Thismorning we had a dog get in with some lambs that have just been weaned. Forced most of them over our sheepwire but the dog managed to get hold of one ewe lamb that looks like she may not make it. I’ve done a quick search but want to be sure for future, what is the procedure for shooting dogs worrying sheep (i know as much as they have to be in the act). I think i have read in the past that i need to notify the police afterwards? To be clear this would be an absolute last resort ( i could really do without the agro it could potentially cause).
Specifically i would like to hear from people in my situation.
1. These are my sheep on my own land or on land we rent on which i have permission to shoot.
2. None of the land (owned or rented) has footpaths across it (but does have them over boundry hedges in some places)
3. Has anybody got any bright ideas on how to keep the buggers out in the first place!

as said above this is last resort territory i like dogs but not as much as i like not having vets bills and not seeing something that we work hard at and really enjoy doing (most of the time!) being mauled and injured.
 
A search on here should uncover quite a lot of useful info. as this topic has been covered a fair amount in the past.

If you are forced resort to a "gun" be absolutely sure of your legal position first - one aspect of which is to avoid using a rifle ,, a whole different level of legal complexity methinks.
 
my take on it is that, as long as the dog is
1) in the actual process of attacking the sheep (not away from the sheep_
2) on your land
3) attacking your sheep
3) you have a legally held "shotgun"

its legal to shoot it and then report it immediately to the police
 
I fully understand why you are considering it when out of control dogs can threaten both your livelihood and animals. However as an FAC holder you are going to have to report it to the police, the dog will likely have an owner what’s his story going to be and where was he when the shot was fired. If you did it as a risk assessment there is an awful lot that could go seriously wrong for you IMHO
 
Imagine the biggest filthy can of worms, that’s what can be opened when you shoot a dog.
I know someone (well he’s dead now) who if he shot a dog he did it very low key. Shot and disposed of without and fuss

ps he only shot dogs that where without an owner in the vicinity
 
Stop worrying if dog in sheep shot it with what ever you have the dog owner is in the wrong and should have dog under control,I have farmer friends that have shot dogs in front of owner with no problems the police are there for you as well you are not a criminal.you will only shoot one the rest will be under control for rest of the year
 
It will be back if it gets a chance.

Try and find the owner(not always easy I know) they are liable for any damages.

As much as I detest Facebook, post a few pictures of the damage to the lamb and ask people to keep an eye out worth a try.



Local farmers close to us (also now deceased) would shoot first and then suddenly develop amnesia.
 
If you can catch the dog, call the police to report it and demand compensation from the owner you'll be in a much safer position. Obviously with some dogs easier said than done but with lambs it might be a Jack Russell.

As the link @HDShark provided highlights, whilst you are allowed to shoot a dog that's worrying or about to worry sheep, or has been worrying sheep and remains in the area and not under control, a whole host of limitations and risks need to be weighed against that right.

The last two para's are spot on - the law is heavily based on circumstance, there are several sets of laws that could get you in trouble (Animals Act 1971, Animal Welfare Act 2006, firearms offences, and the tort of trespass to goods), which might be serious.

@MGD's post is easy to say on the internet; and plenty of farms have shot and disposed of dogs without telling anyone with no repercussions. But "stop worrying about it" isn't great advice, by all means make your own decisions about the risks v. the benefits but it might turn out to be a weighty decision!
 
The dog must be in the act of worrying or has worried and you have good cause to believe it will do so again (I.e. heading back towards the sheep).
There must be no other reasonable means to stop the worrying.
You must report to the Police within 48 hrs.

The Police will support your action if you do everything correctly.

NFU info posted above is good.
 
The law is simple in theory - you have the legal right to protect your livestock, and if that means destroying the dog, so be it.

In practice, it gets a bit more complicated - as others have said.

A little story from April 2020, the first big national lockdown. A farm that my brother-in-law does fox shooting for got in touch, a LOT of dogs being allowed to run loose and causing problems (this is not too far from Corwen, so late lambing season up there). Anyway, he doesn't want to shoot dogs if he doesn't have to, so he decides to try it another way.
Goes up there on a nice evening, parked up not far from a popular footpath. Chats with people who are out walking their dogs, explains the problems that the farmer is having - oh, it's none of them, they're all completely responsible, etc, etc.
As light is fading, he moves off about half a mile, takes the moderator off the 308, and puts 2 rounds in quick succession into the really nice hilly field next to him - which all echoes back beautifully towards the village.

Funnily enough, all the farmer's dog problems stopped after that. The bush telegraph certainly did it's job
 
There’s a lot of unnecessary worry being bought in here. If it’s worrying, and shooting is only reasonable option then shoot it. Esp if you have reported prior incidents to the police (make sure you do that). That will help to show you had no other reasonable option at that moment. Shoot it, put gun away, report to police - they will come and speed when a gun has been used (legally or not).

Be open honest and the police will take notes, and deal with the owner if identifiable. They may want to view injuries to see justification, but remember it is worrying and not direct injury. Abortions won’t show till later anyway!

At the end of the day it is only a defence in court against prosecution that you can use, but unless something was very fishy no police authority would prosecute the shooter knowing the legal defence. Contrary to the view of some, the police are reasonable people!

We have now shot 5 over recent years, 4 of which I was the one who took them.
The police were very understanding, and round this way have had more than enough reports of such incidents to understand the need. In one case the owner was prosecuted when we explained the public interest in avoiding restorative justice (paying us off) given the persistent attacks related to the dogs of that particular property. In the other cases they instructed the owner to remove the carcass from our field and advised them that they would be taking no further action against me, or them (in light of the dog being dead).

Biggest tip - see the nfu advice, get it done if you get chance to deal with it, and then report ASAP to be seen to be doing everything in the right way. Don’t overthink it
 
Two tips:-
1. Buy a Pard 007a, attach to rifle of choice; and
2. Film the sheep worrying as it happens including the shooting of offending dog (also works with foxes).
Just let any smart dog owner deny that footage plus if you can trace said owner footage will help with any financial restitution.
Good luck.
🦊🦊
 
MGD said:
Stop worrying if dog in sheep shot it with what ever you have the dog owner is in the wrong and should have dog under control,I have farmer friends that have shot dogs in front of owner with no problems the police are there for you as well you are not a criminal.you will only shoot one the rest will be under control for rest of the year
Click to expand...
Aye very good

Good luck with not getting your farm set on fire with that righteous attitude.
Go for financial recompense, a lot easier than dealing with some numpty arsehole with a box of swan vesta and a dead rottie.
 
As an update, the owner came and told us what had happened. They have agreed to pay our costs. Thanks to all who have offered advice, i feel more up to speed with how i would stand legally now if i were to witness such an attack in the future (i didnt witness todays events).
Lamb still living which is more than can be said for my stock fencing after having the sheep grand national scrambling over it!
 
Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 is the legislation that applies and is worth making yourself familiar with for future reference.

Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953

An Act to provide for the punishment of persons whose dogs worry livestock on agricultural land; and for purposes connected with the matter aforesaid.
www.legislation.gov.uk www.legislation.gov.uk
 
speaking from limited experience its not much fun handing over a dead dog to its owner. I would always try and catch it first. Shotguns make less visible damage but take more shots to do the job. If the owner doesnt keep their wits about them then the dog will be back. Once it has a thrill for sheep it wont forget unless it gets some serious punishment
 
neilst said:
As an update, the owner came and told us what had happened. They have agreed to pay our costs. Thanks to all who have offered advice, i feel more up to speed with how i would stand legally now if i were to witness such an attack in the future (i didnt witness todays events).
Lamb still living which is more than can be said for my stock fencing after having the sheep grand national scrambling over it!
Click to expand...
That is a rarity these days. Someone who accepts responsibility for an incident and is prepared to do the right thing to try rectify it.
 
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