A woman from Derby has been charged with being the owner of two dog that got loose and killed 15 sheep and caused injury to 13 more.
Derbyshire Police’s rural crime team said the woman has been charged with being the owner of dogs worrying livestock following the incident in May during which her two dogs got loose and attacked sheep at the farm in Willington.
The team said it was a “very upsetting incident” for everyone involved, including the owner of the dog.
“The financial and emotional damage caused to the farmer are significant and will be felt for a long time.
“Please ensure your dog is secure and under control if there is a chance you could encounter livestock.”
Livestock attacks
According to NFU Mutual’s latest rural crime report, farm animals worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks across the UK in 2023, up nearly 30% compared to the previous year.
Livestock theft also remained high in 2023, at an estimated cost of £2.7 million across the UK.
Last year saw a spate of “alarming incidents” where farm animals were butchered in fields, NFU Mutual said.
This year, NFU Mutual funded the UK’s first livestock theft officer at the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) to tackle the crime.
Sharp rises in inflation in 2023 made farming equipment an attractive target for organised gangs and meant each theft cost the rural community more than in previous years, according to the rural insurer.
But a coordinated response against crime saw a reduction in the number of agricultural vehicle claims reported to NFU Mutual, which were down 9% to an estimated £10.7 million in 2023.
The cost of rural crime across the UK rose to £52.8 million, up from £50.6 million in 2022, with GPS unit thefts rising by 137% to £4.2 million.
