NSA Sheep Worrying by Dogs Awareness Week to highlight industry work on serious issue
27th February 2024
The National Sheep Association (NSA) will intensify its work to highlight the devastating issue of sheep worrying by dogs during its week long awareness campaign next month.
The annual campaign is timed to coincide with a period that often sees a spike in attacks on sheep, as day length increases and dog walkers begin to spend more recreational time walking through fields, potentially home to livestock. The spring months are also the peak season for lambing in the UK, meaning vulnerable stock is even more at risk from being chased by dogs and physical, often fatal attacks.
NSA’s previous work on the issue has demonstrated recurring years of increased reports of dog attacks on sheep, showing the urgent need for action to tackle this crisis that threatens animal welfare, and farmers’ mental wellbeing and livelihoods.
This year NSA has sought feedback from Police rural crime teams across the country on their experiences of sheep worrying cases with the aim of highlighting the need for strengthened policy on the issue and the role that police teams can have in preventing continued attacks.
To begin the week of campaign activity NSA is now inviting journalists and agricultural writers to join NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker, supported by other members of the NSA team, as he shares the most up-to-date information collected from the police by NSA as part of its 2024 survey on sheep worrying by dogs launching the 2024 Sheep Worrying awareness week on Monday 25th March from 12 noon until 1pm. Registrations are invited for the launch meeting by clicking here.
The campaign will include social media activity using the campaign hashtag #LeadOn, online case studies and content on the NSA website. NSA hopes to use the 2024 survey results to continue to raise awareness of these incidents and find ways of improving education, guidance and cooperation with the general public.
For more information on the issue of sheep worrying by dogs and NSA’s work on this issue please visit www.sheepworrying.org.uk.
