Dog owners urged to act responsibly after lamb fatally attacked near Garstang

Livestock worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured or killed by dogs in 2023, according to NFU Mutual. Pic courtesy of Farmers Guardian.

Dog owners have been urged to keep their pets on leads around livestock after a lamb was killed in a suspected dog attack at Barnacre, near Garstang.

Lancashire Police is appealing for information following the incident of sheep worrying at Barnacre on Sunday (2 March) which saw a young lamb killed.

Posting a stark picture of the lamb on the Your Garstang Facebook page, Edward Slater said: “Please keep your dogs on their leads! Keepers Lane, Barnacre, the dog’s owners know it was their pet that did this as they have left footprints near to where I found the lamb.”

PC Tony Marsh, of Lancashire Police’s Rural Task Force (West), urged anyone with information to get in touch and warned dog owners to be vigilant with their pets around livestock, particularly as we head into spring and farmers are lambing their sheep.

PC Marsh said: “Attacks by dogs on stock can be devasting at any time of the year but particularly so in early spring when many are carrying young or have lambs at foot. Many of these incidents can be avoided simply by using a lead or avoiding routes that will bring you and your dog into contact with sheep.”

WARNING: SOME READERS MAY FIND THIS IMAGE UPSETTING.

The lamb that died at Barnacre. Pic: Edward Slater.

Edward’s picture of the dead lamb caused a backlash from some on the Your Garstang Facebook page, but the group’s admin said they would not remove it as dog owners needed to act properly when out walking their pets.

The post by the Your Garstang admin read: “Please stop reporting the post about the dead sheep at Barnacre. We are not going to remove it, it’s something that dog owners need to know about. Hopefully it will encourage them to keep their dogs on a lead and away from livestock.”

Shocking figures from NFU Mutual revealed that in 2023 animals worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks, up nearly 30 per cent compared to the previous year

Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist, said: “We’ve heard reports from farmers about dog owners who regularly allow their pets to roam off-lead in the countryside, seemingly unaware of the carnage the dog could cause, who are then horrified when an attack happens.

“Complacency kills, though, and there have been incidences where dogs have chased, injured and killed sheep and the owner is powerless to stop it or nowhere to be seen.”

Fulwood-based agricultural newspaper and website Farmers Guardian has, for many years, run a livestock worrying awareness campaign called Take The Lead, which has lobbied Government for harsher penalties for dog owners whose pets are caught killing or worrying livestock.

FG has handed out tens of thousands of Take The Lead signs during that time, which farmers can place on their land in a bid to remind dog owners of their responsibilities around livestock.

Anyone with information about the fatal attack at Barnacre can email Lancashire Police on westrtf@lancashire.police.uk

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