Welsh farmers' despair at horrific dog attacks on sheep

People who walk dogs without a lead across farmland risk causing animal cruelty, says a farmer whose sheep face "constant" attack.

More powers for police and tougher penalties are needed, said Charlotte Llywelyn, whose farm near Cardiff is criss-crossed by public paths.

She described a pregnant ewe being severely injured and bite marks on sheep jaws as a "nightmare".

The UK government said it would be setting out "next steps in due course".

Some readers may find details and pictures in this story distressing.

Ms Llywelyn's family have reared sheep and cattle for five generations on a farm that is is now ringed by housing developments.

It has made the area's public footpaths increasingly popular, and the problem of dogs running loose and attacking her livestock more likely.

She described images from the aftermaths of the attacks as shocking, upsetting and grim.

They show a pregnant ewe with its throat ripped open, a lamb with no skin left on its face and a sheep with bite marks around its jaw.

"It's just a nightmare," she said. "It's so disrespectful and actual cruelty as well.

"I think these people would class themselves as animal lovers - they have dogs that they're taking for a walk but they don't realise the stress they're causing the livestock."

She said one time a dog got into a field and was circling a ring of 15 cows huddled together to protect their calves.

"If you've seen footage of wolves trying to attack bison - it was exactly like that," she said.

Despite losing a lot of ground she had to install "a permanent fence which is segregating those members of the public who do not respect what we do on the farm".

Brothers Ben and Ethan Williams run a farm nearby and have also lost animals to dog attacks.

"We've had two dog attacks this year, one ewe survived but the other died," Ethan explained.

In both instances the dogs and their owners had disappeared by the time the injured animals were discovered.

"I think policing powers need to be increased," Ben said. "That would be a deterrent at least for the people who understand the rules but still flout them."

Tougher action to prevent livestock worrying had been included in the UK government's flagship animal welfare bill which was unexpectedly dropped in May, after being in development for several years.

The Kept Animals Bill had also included plans to ban people from keeping primates as pets, stop the export of live animals for slaughter, tackle dog thefts and puppy smuggling.

It was scrapped amid accusations from ministers of "political games", with suggestions the government's opponents could have used the legislation to force debates on issues like hunting.

Hazel Wright, deputy head of policy at the Farmers' Union of Wales said the u-turn had caused "real frustration".

"We'd worked on the bill for such a long time in conjunction with the police," she said.

"It included things like better investigative powers - so DNA sampling to identify a problem dog when there are no witnesses as well as powers for police to enter premises and seize suspect dogs. And of course tougher penalties for repeat offenders.

"For us now it's vital that we see those individual elements in the bill that relate to dog attacks taken forward during this parliamentary term."

The FUW is hosting an event at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd, Powys, on Wednesday about the impact of dog attacks and what more can be done to prevent them.

Rob Taylor, the wildlife and rural crime coordinator for Wales, said as a police officer he had attended many attacks that were "absolutely devastating".

"The sheep are brutalised, the farmer's upset, the police have to go and deal with it and of course at the end of the day the dogs are either shot or euthanised."

He said he felt "gutted" when the Kept Animals Bill was dropped.

UK Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Thérèse Coffey said the bill had "grown significantly as it was passing through parliament".

"So what we're doing is bringing back our manifesto commitments through single issue bills that will make sure they get through parliament actually more smoothly."

She said she was "confident that we will see those before the next election in legislation".