Northern Ireland farmers fear rising dog attacks this Easter

Latest figures from NFU Mutual revealed farm animals in Northern Ireland worth an estimated £147,000 were severely injured or killed by dogs in 2023.

Last year also saw the number of dog attacks on livestock in Northern Ireland double compared to 2022 and 2021.

Co Armagh farmer George Carvill is considering giving up his sheep flock after a dog attack left 28 lambs dead.

The attack took place in early December 2023 and George is deeply concerned that the dog, or dogs, responsible will return and caused carnage in his in-lamb ewes.

Currently grazing away from George’s farm near Middletown, the ewes are due to be moved back for lambing. George is considering selling the ewes now or bringing them back to the farm and sell them after lambing – with the risk that they could be attacked.

“It was a terrible experience for me and my 16-year-old son, Frank, who looks after the sheep with me,” he commented.

“We walked into the field to feed the lambs sugar beet and were shocked to see a dead lamb near the gateway. We thought it was a one-off, but as we walked through the field we saw another dead lamb, and then more and more – 28 in all.

“They had been badly mauled, and it was clear the injuries were the result of a dog attack.”

Even worse was to come when George and Frank reached the field boundary to find that another 12 lambs had been stampeded into the River Cor where they had drowned.

Just 13 lambs were left alive. They had escaped, some with badly mauled faces, by jumping into the next field.

The lambs, bred from Suffolk mules crossed with a Charolais tup ,were in great condition and ready for market.

“I just don’t know what we are going to do – because no-one saw the dog, we’ve no way of tracing it and there’s a very real risk it will come back and attack again if we bring the ewes back to the farm,” George added.

“We haven’t had a dog attack since 1983, but there are a lot more dogs around now in Middletown and we know some of them are let out to roam uncontrolled by their owners.”

George’s family has run the 90-acre farm on the outskirts of Middletown for over 50 years and also finishes beef cattle.

Two dog attacks on their small flock have left Co Antrim farmers Greg and Glen Longstaff with two ewes dead and a disrupted breeding programme.

Greg and Glen have run the 40 acre farm between Ballymena and Ballyclare for five years alongside their jobs. Although from a farming background, Greg came to the farm as a new entrant and is trying to build up the flock of pedigree Texel and Dorset ewes.

The attacks took place last autumn, a few days after the 70 ewes had been artificially inseminated. Scans have revealed that six of the 18 Texel ewes in the field are not carrying lambs – which Greg attributes to them being chased round their field.

The dogs responsible for the attacks are thought to have escaped from a house and have not been traced, leaving Greg with the worry his flock could suffer further attacks.

The dogs were first spotted chasing the 18 ewes during daylight but could not be caught. They returned at night and attacked again.

From a sighting of the dogs and the vet’s report on the dead ewes’ injuries, it is thought that the attacks were carried out by a husky-type dog and terrier.

“It’s the first dog attack we’ve had and we’re at a loss to understand where the dog came from,” Greg said.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, with no footpaths and we’re not even near a road.

“There were 18 ewes in the field at the time of the attack, and two pedigree ewes were killed. Six were left empty with the loss of semen which can’t be replaced, altering our breeding plans.

“Even after intervention from the dog warden he dogs weren’t traced, but would have been covered in blood after eating the throat out of a ewe.

“Although our NFU Mutual insurance covered the value of the sheep that were killed, the attacks cased a tremendous amount of disruption and the loss of lambs is going to hit us hard.

“We run the flock for the joy of keeping sheep rather than as a purely commercial business, and this has taken the pleasure out of it.

“We’re now checking the sheep more often and regularly making sure the fences are all in good order – but it’s practically impossible to fence the fields to make them completely secure against determined dogs. We’ve also put cameras round the farm to help trace dogs if there’s another attack.”

Meanwhile, repeated dog attacks, which have led to the deaths of 54 lambs, have forced a Dungannon farmer to stop keeping sheep.

The first attack took place in December 2021. A large dog killed 18 lambs, and a further 15 drowned after being chased into the river. The attack only stopped when David Scott shot the dog.

A year to the day later, another dog carried out a frenzied attack on David’s Beltex cross lambs. This time 12 of the 120 head flock were killed.

Despite an insurance pay out from his NFU Mutual policy, David has stopped buying in lambs to finish through the autumn because of the risk of further attacks.

“Around here the villages are being developed and there are more people and dogs than ever before – and some are keeping large dangerous dogs,” he explained.

“I hope to go back to finishing lambs in the future,but at the moment it’s too risky.”

Lambs being injured and killed by dogs is only part of the problem farmers are facing. Surviving sheep are traumatised by being terrorised by dogs and never thrive.

David’s farm is a mile from the nearest village, but large dogs left free to roam have been seen frequently by David and neighbouring farmers.

“The injuries caused by the dog in the latest attack were absolutely horrific,” he continued.

“The vet who came out to euthanise the badly-injured lambs said the bite marks were so large it looked like a wolf attack.”

David, who has farmed all his life, has 40 acres of his own land and had rented extra land for the lamb finishing enterprise.

Across the UK, the estimated cost of livestock worrying soared by nearly 30 per cent to £2.4 million last year.

At the same time, NFU Mutual’s recent survey of over 1,100 dog owners found more people were letting their dogs off leads in the countryside last year than in 2022, 68 per cent and 64 per cent respectively.

Worryingly, less than half (49 per cent) said their pet always comes back when called.

Almost eight percent admitted their dog chases livestock but 46 per cent believed their dog was not capable of causing the death or injury of farm animals.

The NFU Mutual-backed Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is making its way through parliament, aimed at improving powers available to police in dealing with dog attacks on livestock.

Martin Malone, NFU Mutual Manager for Northern Ireland, commented: “The Easter holidays is a great opportunity to explore Northern Ireland’s countryside, but people must remember these idyllic rural destinations are working environments, key to farmers’ livelihoods and home to millions of sheep and new-born lambs.

“This year’s lambing season is well underway across Northern Ireland and farmers are understandably worried that an influx of out-of-control dogs this Easter could cause unnecessary carnage to new-born lambs out in the fields with their mothers for the first time.

“All dogs are capable of disturbing, chasing, attacking and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament.

“That’s why we are urging everyone exercising their dogs in the countryside to keep them on a lead wherever livestock may be nearby but to let go if chased by cattle.”

UFU deputy president, William Irvine, added: “Livestock worrying has always been an ongoing concern for our members, but it heightens even more during holiday periods as more people and their pets venture to the countryside for exercise and recreational activity.

“At this time of year ewes are heavily pregnant and any chase by dogs, no matter the size, can result in an ewe aborting her unborn lambs. Recently born lambs are also extremely vulnerable to dog attacks.

“It is critical that dog owners have their dog on a lead at all times and that they have complete control. This is the only way to ensure no harm comes to livestock and that walkers and their pets can enjoy the countryside peacefully. Rural areas are there for everyone to enjoy but as a farmer it is extremely frustrating to see dogs being let loose by their owners, especially in areas where livestock are.’’