Farmer who lost 20 lambs to dog attacks says 'enough is enough'
WARNING: This report contains images some viewers may find distressing.
ITV Wales' Rural Correspondent Hannah Thomas reports
A Gower farmer has "had enough" after losing 20 lambs last year due to dog attacks on Rhosili cliffs.
Nicky Beynon told ITV News he has had to move his ewes and lambs over fears of irresponsible dog walking which has lead to the injury or even deaths of his farm animals.
He said: "Between me and my Uncle Geoff, we would have had around 300 sheep lambing on Rhosili Cliffs, and this year there'll be none.
"Between Rhosili and the Mumbles area, it's either fourteen or seventeen miles of cliff, and I think there's only three farmers grazing it now. There would have been hundreds."
Mr Beynon has also had to move his horses to other pastures due to past attacks.
He added: "Everyone's answer to the problems are signs- put more signs up- people don't read signs anymore, they're too busy looking at their phone screens.
"Then all of a sudden, the dog is gone."
The value of Welsh farm animals killed or seriously injured in attacks has more than doubled, according to new data from NFU Mutual.
It reached an estimated £883,000 in 2023, more than double the £439,000 figure reported in 2022.
The figures also revealed an increase in the number of dog owners allowing their pets to roam off leads in the countryside. 68% of surveyed dog owners admitted to this practice, yet less than half (49%) are able to reliably recall their dogs when necessary.
NFU Mutual is issuing a heartfelt plea for responsible dog ownership to mitigate the risk of future devastating attacks.
More livestock attacks have also seen more calls made to rural mental health charities.
Kate Miles, manager of the DPJ Foundation, told ITV Wales: "At this time of year we're hearing of sheep that are losing lambs as a result of having been chased and then going into premature labour.
"We're also hearing cases of cattle being chased and the effect on them."
Rural insurer, NFU Mutual, is also throwing its support behind a new parliamentary Bill designed to enhance the powers available to police for dealing with dog attacks on livestock.
This legislative initiative aims to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to address this growing threat effectively.
Across the UK as a whole, dog attacks on livestock were estimated to cost £2.4 million last year, up nearly 30% compared to the previous year
This comes as the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is making its way through parliament.
NFU Mutual Wales manager, Owen Suckley, called these figures "shocking" and "alarming" due to the incoming 2024 lambing season which will see many fields populated with vulnerable ewes and newborn lambs.
He added: “We’ve heard reports from farmers about the complacency and naivety of some dog owners who regularly allow their pets to roam off-lead in the countryside, seemingly unaware of the carnage the dog could cause, then are horrified when an attack happens.
“There have also been incidences where dogs have chased, injured and killed sheep and the owner is nowhere to be seen."
He claimed farmers feared repeat attacks and said owners needed to be made aware that “all dogs are capable of chasing, attacking and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament."
NFU Mutual is calling for dog owners to:
Keep dogs on a lead when walking in rural areas where livestock are kept but let go of the lead if chased by cattle
Be aware that all dogs, regardless of size, breed, and temperament, can cause the distress, injury and death of farm animals
Report attacks by dogs to the police or local farmers
Never let dogs loose unsupervised in gardens near livestock fields – many attacks are caused by dogs which escape and attack sheep grazing nearby.
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