Darlington farmer urges dog owners to be more responsible as new law in place
It'll now see an unlimited maximum fine and police will have stronger powers
A farmer near Darlington is urging dog owners to be more responsible as a new law to protect livestock from attacks is now in effect.
It'll now see an unlimited maximum fine and police will have stronger powers.
Clare Wise is a mixed farmer with sheep on her land and she said: "I'm joining calls for people to be more responsible with their dogs around livestock this spring. It's coming up to lambing season. There's lots of heavily pregnant sheep out in fields and very soon there'll be lots of small vulnerable baby lambs out there as well.
"We will see tougher laws in place. Not only will dog owners face potentially having their dogs seized, police can use DNA evidence to identify dogs that have worried sheep. Also fines are now unlimited against dog owners who are irresponsible.
"So all round it makes great sense for the welfare of sheep to be a more responsible dog owner this spring, but also now the law really is coming down much, much more heavily on dog owners who don't stick to the rules.
"Put your dog on a lead. It's simple, it costs you nothing, but it does everything in terms of preserving the safety of the livestock out in the fields. And also, it will protect your dog and your bank balance from being the result of some new, tougher laws coming into place on dog worrying.
"People are happy to let their dogs run off loose in a field where there are sheep, the sheep might run off into a corner, their dog carries on having what they see as a lovely run out, but in fact the other animals in that field are terrified."
Updates to the Dog (Protection of Livestock) Act 2026
The Dog (Protection of Livestock) Act has been updated for the first time since 1953. Passed on 5 December 2025, the law came into effect on Wednesday 18th March 2026. These changes aim to protect livestock from dog attacks and give authorities stronger powers to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.
Expanded police powers
Police now have wider powers to investigate livestock worrying, even when attacks are not directly witnessed. These include:
• Entering premises to seize dogs suspected of attacking livestock
• Collecting DNA samples from livestock injuries and dogs
• Building evidence against repeat offenders
Updated definition of livestock
The Act now includes camelids such as alpacas and llamas. It also covers incidents on:
• Public footpaths
• Roads
Stronger penalties for worrying of livestock
The maximum fine is now unlimited, replacing the previous £1,000 limit.
For more information about the changes, visit the Government website.