The number of farmers reporting dog attacks on their sheep, particularly in the case of in-lamb ewes, is slowly starting to creep up once again.
This issue arises every year but it particularly occurs time and time again around this time of the year and into the new year.
The damage a single dog can do is catastrophic. In many cases, dog attacks lead to sheep being killed and in the case of in-lamb ewes, even if they do survive, there is an increased risk of them dying a short while later due to shock and injuries sustained or even aborting their lambs.
Many dog owners are of the belief that their pets wouldn’t cause any harm to sheep but in cases, this is far from reality. Boredom plays a huge part in the reason behind a dog attacking sheep, so make sure you walk your dog – accompanied – as often as possible.
So, the next time you think about opening the back door of your house to let the dog run around for a while, think about your neighboring farmer who has sheep in the field beside you.
Not only is it a horrifying experience for the animals attacked but it causes a lot of stress on the farmer and also leaves them out of pocket.
A lot of time and money is spent by farmers to get their in-lamb ewes to this stage, whether it be stock bred themselves or bought-in, so take responsibility for your pet(s) and make sure you know where they are at all times.