Shepherds at property management company Blenheim Estate have launched the ‘Thank Ewe’ campaign aimed at educating dog owners about the risk they can pose to sheep during this lambing season.
Farm manager at the estate, Charles Gerring, said dog owners must be informed of the issues they can cause sheep if the company is to continue allowing its sheep to birth outdoors.
“We would just like to remind everyone as we approach our lambing season, to please keep your dog on leads while visiting the estate,” he said.
“Chasing by dogs can do serious damage to our flock, even if the dog doesn’t catch them. The stress of worrying by dogs can cause sheep to die and pregnant ewes to miscarry their lambs.”
The estate said it has a “1,000-strong” flock of Scotch mule sheep that lamb later than many farms because they are reared entirely on grass within the parkland.
The first lambs of the year on the estate are expected at the end of April, the company said.
Alongside the Thank Ewe campaign, the company said it is also putting up “clear signage” across its estate to aid in the educating of dog owners on the potential risks of losing control of their dogs around livestock.
The company warned that, under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, if a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the person in charge of the dog is guilty of an offence.
This includes attacking sheep, chasing them in a way that may cause injury, suffering, miscarriage or loss of produce and not on a lead or being otherwise under close control in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep.
“We know the vast majority of owners are extremely responsible, however each year we have to deal with some extremely distressing incidents involving dog attacks on the sheep,” Gerring said.
“Often the owners are just not aware of the potential dangers their pets pose to livestock and are also deeply traumatised by the consequences of not being able to keep their dogs under control.”
