| News
NSA promotes the building of positive relations to
combat sheep worrying
With a busy summer ahead, National Sheep Association (NSA) is looking to the many agricultural events and shows
taking place in the coming weeks and months as the ideal opportunity to reach out to members of the public in
promoting responsible dog ownership to reduce incidences of sheep worrying – and is asking sheep farmers to get
involved in any way they can.
SA Comms Officer
Katie James
comments: “The
work of NSA to
highlight the serious
problem of sheep
worrying by dogs is well
recognised by our members and
the wider sheep farming industry.
However, we need to continue our
work to build positive relationships
with the dog-owning public to
ensure improved behaviour of the
minority of dog walkers that allow
their animals to run free around
livestock, often with devastating
results.
“We share the frustration of our
members about the number of
completely avoidable attacks on
sheep, but only browbeating the
public and portraying negative
messages about shooting dogs is
not an effective message. We want
to share a positive message about
dog owners enjoying the beautiful
landscapes in Britain, which are
created by the hard work of sheep
farmers, and to do so responsibly
and consider the impact an attack
can have on farmers business and
livelihood.”
For several years NSA has
collected data and opinions on
sheep worrying attacks to gain an
N
insight into its severity and unseen
consequences. Results from NSA
surveys have highlighted the
seriousness of the issue, including
statistics such as 85% of sheep
farmers who’ve suffered sheep
worrying attacks experiencing
feelings of stress and anxiety,
leading to almost a quarter of
those affected considering giving
up sheep farming as a result.
Mrs James continues: “This
personal angle is a really
important one to share when
talking about attacks on sheep, as
dog owners often think their pets
are ‘just playing’ and do not
understand the wider picture. We
want to help them understand the
people affected by the crime and
how it all links to the management
of the great British countryside and
vital role of rural communities.
“Another element of this is
having the statistics to back up our
claims, as the official crime figures
are only the tip of the iceberg. It is
very difficult for NSA and others
working in this area to gain the
attention of the public or the
Government when the figures
suggest it’s only a small problem.
NSA understands the reluctance of
farmers to report attacks, but if we
are to build up an a