45 sheep killed in ‘absolutely traumatic’ dog attack
22nd February 2024
At the beginning of February, a flock of sheep from Langford Farm, near Tavistock, in Devon were chased over three fields by out-of-control dogs. 45 animals were killed.
The shocking event left eight ewes and 20 lambs dead, with many more badly injured, said farmer Ali Dawe.
He told the BBC that the attack was “absolutely traumatic”, with “sheep and lambs alive and dead straight across over 50 acres, over three fields”.
He added: “We are absolutely beside ourselves. We’ve taken prints and measured the size of the paw prints. They are four inches wide – there’s only a few breeds of dogs that have that width of paw.”
The farmer believes that his sheep were attacked by one or more dogs that were not locked in at night or were let out by accident.
Livestock worrying recognised as big issue on farms
Devon and Cornwall Police have been carrying out an investigation into the attack and are calling on the public to provide information on the case.
The UK government has recently backed new legislation to tackle livestock worrying. The new measures aim to reduce dog attacks on animals and help secure successful prosecutions that recognise impacts of the attacks on farmers and their businesses.
This follows data shared by NFU Mutual, which shows that farm animals worth an estimated £1.8 million were killed or injured by out-of-control dogs in only one year.
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