50% rise in cost of animals savaged by dogs - NFU

The UK’s leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has revealed the estimated cost of dog attacks on farm animals in the first quarter of 2021 rose by a staggering 50%.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jul 2021, 08:37 BST

A surge in lockdown pets and countryside visits, along with a lack of awareness about how dogs will behave around farm animals are believed to be driving the rise. There are growing concerns that out of control and escaped pets will continue to wreak havoc over the summer.

“NFU Mutual’s latest figures confirm the harrowing reports coming in from across the UK of livestock horrifically injured and killed by out of control dogs. The suffering to animals and the anxiety for farmers could be easily prevented if people kept their dogs on a lead when out in the countryside,” said Rebecca Davidson, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual

The insurer reported that numbers started to rise sharply last year when farm animals worth an estimated £1.3m were savaged by dogs – an increase of over 10% on 2019.

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