UK: ‘Pandemic puppies’ could be blamed for spike in livestock attacks
Lamb
Meat
United Kingdom
Published Jun 3, 2023
Tridge summary
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is concerned the rise in dog ownership in the UK since the pandemic and increasingly seen behavioural issues in dogs highlighted by recent statistics could be behind the spike in sheep worrying attacks reported by farmers across the country.
Original content
Livestock attacks pose a serious threat to farmers’ livelihoods and have been an ongoing issue in the industry during recent years. NSA members have confirmed they have seen a worrying rise in attacks on sheep and are increasingly concerned about the safety of their livestock. In line with this trend are figures released by the British Veterinary Association (BVA), suggesting half of UK vets have seen a rise in clients with concerns about their dogs’ increasingly aggressive behaviour. According to the 2021 UK Pet Food survey, around 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a dog in the first year of the covid pandemic. So-called ‘pandemic puppy’ owners were also more likely to be first-time dog owners potentially unaware of the risk posed to livestock by dogs who are allowed to run off their lead in the countryside. NSA chief executive Phil Stocker expressed concern over the rising cases of sheep worrying in the UK since the covid pandemic. He said: “With dog ownership increasing ...
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