Farmers want tougher action for dog attacks on sheep

Farmers want to see courts given more powers to punish dog owners

Farmers on the Isle of Man want to see tougher penalties for owners of dogs which attack livestock.

Reports from farmers suggest at least 26 sheep were killed by dogs in 2023, with up to 90 injured.

The Manx National Farmers Union has said the island's courts are "limited" by current legislation regarding livestock protection.

A government spokesman said meetings would be planned to "consider the issues and potential options" to strengthen legislation.

'Distressed'

The MNFU's concerns come after reported incidents over the weekend including several pregnant ewes being chased by dogs, with one later dying.

Secretary Sarah Comish said farmers had also reported "issues with lambing due to the stress on their bodies" and "lambs being savaged to death".

In 2023, the union said 82% of farmers had reported at least one sheep worrying incident involving dogs in the last two years.

The union said farmers had been left feeling "angry, stressed, scared, distressed, frustrated, sad and bewildered".

The MNFU has said it wants to see changes made to the Dog Act that would make it easier for police to investigate and prosecute offending dog owners.

Those powers would include increased maximum penalties, seizing dogs and imposing regulations to ensure dogs are kept on leads on or adjacent to agricultural land.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture said that the department was "aware" of the proposals.

He said that Defa staff had met farmers and were due to have further meetings with the union and police.

He added: "The Animal Welfare Act 2023, which will become operational next month, may also present an opportunity to make secondary legislation to address these issues, which may be a quicker solution than amending the Dogs Act, which is primary legislation."

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