Ninety five per cent of sheep farmers have experienced dog attacks, survey reveals

With the average cost of an attack coming in at more than £1,000, 70 per cent of respondents claimed they had been forced to adapt the way they farm, which included building tougher fencing along footpaths and disusing badly impacted fields.

Appealing for action, NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said: “NSA is really frustrated to see from the results of our 2020 dog worrying survey, that show dog attacks are occurring as frequently as ever and continuing to result in a high cost emotionally and financially from this needless act.”

Despite coordinated campaigns such as Farmers Guardian’s Take the Lead campaign which has been helping to change attitudes among dog owners, Mr Stocker highlighted targeted efforts by police to crack down on the issue would need to be improved in order to prevent further attacks.