Keep full control of your dog when out and about in the countryside – or you could face prosecution is the message from the Police County Watch team as it tries to educate dog owners about the risk of attacks on livestock and horses.
The advice to dog owners is:
- Keep your dog on a lead when in an area with farm livestock or horses
- If there is no livestock visible, keep the dog in sight at all times, be aware of what it is doing, and be confident it will return to you promptly on command – if you cannot be confident of this, the dog should not be off the lead
- Ensure your dog does not stray off the path or area where you have right of access
The worrying of livestock by dogs is a criminal offence contrary to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.
