Pity the poor sheep. Every other animal has its champions. There are fox fanatics, dog obsessives, campaigners for cat welfare. Pigs, once a celebrity pet of choice, have their supporters, too. But it’s sheep who need friends right now, because they are, quite literally, under attack.
My Facebook pals are mostly country types and barely a day goes by without one of them posting a picture of a sheep mauled, often fatally, by untrained, unrestrained city-dwelling dogs.
Camilla Swift is joined by Ben Fogle to discuss the plight of sheep:
Sheep-worrying used to be quite a minor problem but it is now getting much worse in terms of the number of incidents. The police say that up to 15,000 sheep were killed last year, which is ten times higher than previous estimates. The National Police Chiefs Council has agreed to set up a group to investigate how well regional forces react to complaints of dog attacks.
The National Farmers’ Union reports that insurance claims for attacks on farm animals are at a record high — in some counties claims rose by more than 50 per cent last year. In Scotland, the amount farmers claimed for attacks trebled, and the cost of livestock-worrying across the UK may be as high as £1.4 million. And why? Because urban dog-owners can’t be bothered to train their dogs or to just keep them on leads.
This is the worst time of year. In early spring, sheep are brought down to lower-level pastures for lambing — in fields where people may be pottering with their pets. And in the Easter holidays families are keen to get children away from their iPad screens and make the most of the great outdoors. These days, city parks have too often been designated dog-free by bossy-boots local councils.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in