Dog owners urged to keep pets on leads near sheep

Dog walkers in the Lake District are being urged to keep their pets on leads to avoid frightening young sheep or their pregnant mothers.

With lambing season under way, scares from dogs can be fatal to ewes caring for youngsters or at a critical point in their pregnancy, Lake District National Park farming officer Eliza Hodgson said.

Cumbria Police receives more than 50 reports of dog attacks on sheep each year, with the National Farmers' Union warning the situation is "getting worse".

The plea comes as crowds are expected to flock to the area over the Easter holidays.

Ms Hodgson said scares from uncontrolled dogs could cause "immense distress to both sheep and farmers".

Ground-nesting birds like lapwings, curlews and skylarks are also vulnerable, she added.

Andrea Meanwell, who runs a farm in the Howgills and works as the Lakes future farming partnerships manager for the National Trust, said even if a field looks empty as someone walks through a gate, "sheep and lambs can suddenly appear in a dip or behind a wall".

NFU Cumbria chairman John Longmire believes "many people don't understand what can happen in the countryside when they don't have control of their dogs".

"Sadly, the situation has been getting worse," he said.

"It does have a financial impact on the business, but the animal welfare issue is the main concern.

"It is really awful to see the animals suffer in this way, and it is upsetting for the pet owners who just didn't expect their dog to be capable of such things.

"At this time of year many ewes are lambing and these sheep and offspring are highly vulnerable."

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