Five dogs that attacked and killed sheep and unborn lambs have been shot dead by farmers over two days.
The two separate incidents, which took place last Thursday and Friday (19 and 20 January), has prompted the police to issue a plea warning dog owners to keep their pets under control during lambing season.
PC Mike Barnett, dog legislation officer for Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, said: “We are at the very beginning of lambing season and we are already starting to have problems with dogs. Farmers are within their rights to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land.
“To lose sheep and unborn lambs has a big effect on farmers’ livelihoods. To lose a loved pet causes huge upset for dog owners too.
“All is takes to avoid this distress is to keep dogs on leads and make sure they cannot get out and run loose.”
Farmers are within their rights to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land, Warwickshire Police said.
Government officials and senior police officers have been presented findings indicating that around 15,000 sheep were killed by loose dogs in 2016, more than ten times higher than the number previously thought.
