NFU Mutual is urging dog owners visiting the countryside to keep their pets on the lead to avoid attacks on sheep and lambs.

The warning came from the UK’s leading rural insurer as thousands of people plan a spring day out with their dogs in the countryside over the holiday period.

NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns said: “Most lambs will have been born and out in farmers’ fields, at their most vulnerable to attacks from out-of-control dogs.

“As a sheep farmer’s daughter, I’m well aware of the hard-work, time and emotion which goes into the lambing season, so it can be utterly heartbreaking for farmers and their families to witness these horrific incidents and deal with the aftermath.”

Latest figures from NFU Mutual estimate that farm animals worth almost £1.8-million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024, a fall of 26 per cent compared to the previous year.

NFU Mutual also found that 57 per cent of owners let their dogs off lead in the countryside but, worryingly, only 40 per cent admitted their pet always comes back when recalled.

A total of 43 per cent believed their dog was capable of causing the death or injury of livestock, up 11 per cent compared to the previous year’s survey. If present at an attack, just over half would intervene to stop it, while 20 per cent would tell a local farmer and 17 per cent would call the police.

“All dogs are capable of chasing, injuring and killing farm animals, regardless of breed, size or temperament. Dogs that attack farm animals are often impossible to call off, and bites can kill and seriously injure livestock,” Hannah said. “Even if the dog does not make contact, being chased can cause stress and exhaustion, as well as separate young lambs from their mothers, which can lead to them being orphaned.

“People must remember these idyllic rural destinations are working environments, key to farmers’ livelihoods and home to millions of sheep and new-born lambs.

“We know many farmers in popular tourist areas dread Bank Holidays with many dog owners letting their pets run and play off-lead. Letting your dog off lead in an apparently empty field isn’t safe either: many attacks result from off-lead dogs attacking sheep which had been hidden from view by a hill or a dip in the ground.

“That’s why it’s so important dog owners act responsibly for their pet and keep them on a lead wherever livestock may be nearby.”

To prevent attacks dog attacks on farm animals, NFU Mutual is urging walkers 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.