A Derbyshire man has been court ordered to destroy his dog after an incident seen the deaths of two sheep on a Derbyshire farm.
Christian Kent, from Dronfield, has been convicted at Chesterfield Magistrates Court of being the person in charge of a dog dangerously out of control (two counts) and also being the person in charge of a dog worrying livestock (two counts).
Kent received a dog destruction order, disqualification from owning dogs plus £1,500 compensated and £85 costs.
A spokesperson for the Derbyshire rural crime team described the incident as “one of many where irresponsible owners fail to control their dogs resulting in the worrying, injury and often, as was the case here, the death of livestock”.
“This can be a traumatic and costly event for all parties involved and is easily prevented by ensuring your dog is kept securely on a lead whilst near to or likely to come into contact with farm animals.”
In photos shared by Derbyshire rural crime team on Facebook, two sheep are shown bloodied on the floor.
According to a National Sheep Association (NSA) survey, the average financial loss, per farmer per year, due to a sheep worrying incident is £1,2322.
The 2022 Sheep Worrying by Dogs Survey found that, on top of the financial costs, farmers reported feelings of anger, anxiety, upset, stress and frustration as a result of sheep worrying by dog attacks, with most recognising this was adversely affecting their mental health.
