Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden, highlights awareness campaign on how dog owners and farmers can reduce the incidents of sheep worrying in Wealden.
According to the National Sheep Association (NSA) attacks on sheep flocks by dogs, known as ‘sheep worrying’, is a rural crime impacting animal welfare and farmers’ livelihoods and mental wellbeing.
In a recent NSA survey, 78% of rural crime teams reported an increase in dog attacks on sheep over recent years. 76% of the forces reported that they respond to sheep worrying by dog incidents at least once a month, with 33% of them dealing with incidents on a weekly basis.
The NSA launched an awareness campaign last week (25th March – 1st April) highlighting the impact of sheep worrying by dogs on both livestock and wildlife, and aimed to bring together rural crime teams to find local solutions.
Sussex Police supported the campaign, and officers met with the Ashdown Forest Conservators, the NSA and local farmers to share their concerns on the issue. They released this video speaking about this issue here.
Sergeant Tom Carter, of the Rural Crime Team, said: “Livestock worrying has quite significant ramifications not just to the farming community, but to the community as a whole.
“Being a responsible dog owner is having the care to look after your dog and ensure that your dog doesn’t get into trouble or come to harm.
“Unfortunately, the ultimate thing that can happen with livestock worrying is if the dog can’t be stopped, then the farmer can shoot the dog, which is tragic, not just for the dog owner, but it’s tragic for the farmer too.”
Find out more about Sussex Police’s approach to rural crime here.
Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden said:
“I love walking through our beautiful Wealden countryside, and often meet people with their dogs. Through my conversations with local farmers, they have conveyed the seriousness of the impact of dogs loose amongst livestock and the terrible consequences. The solutions offered by Sussex Police are useful for dog owners and farmers to take the necessary steps to make sure any possible interactions between pets and livestock are managed well”.
