From today a new legislation will come into force to better protect livestock and support farmers across the countryside.
The Dogs Protection of Livestock Amendment Act 2025 has now received Royal Assent, giving police stronger powers to deal with livestock worrying.
What is livestock worrying?
A dog does not need to bite or injure livestock for an offence to occur. Chasing, attacking, or even being loose among livestock can cause severe stress, injury, abortion in pregnant animals, or even death.
What’s changing?
The new law will:
- Increase the maximum penalty from £1,000 to an unlimited fine
- Extend offences to incidents on roads and public paths as well as fields
- Include llamas and alpacas within the definition of livestock
- Allow police to seize and detain dogs where there is a risk of further incidents
- Give officers powers to take forensic samples from dogs or livestock to support investigations
- Allow courts to order offenders to pay costs for seizing and keeping a dog
Our Rural Crime Action Team remain committed to protecting livestock, animal welfare, farmers’ livelihoods.
If livestock are worried or attacked, please report it to us.
Read more about the law changes here.
