A long-awaited law to crack down on livestock worrying is set to come into force after the House of Lords unanimously backed new legislation and sent it to the King for Royal Assent.
The Bill, which gives police significantly expanded powers to tackle dog attacks on farm animals, marks a major victory for the National Farmers’ Union, which has campaigned for tougher rules since 2019.
The NFU said the outcome reflected years of pressure from MPs, peers and thousands of members of the public calling for modernised enforcement and stronger penalties.
The scale of the problem has been growing. NFU Mutual estimates that farm animals worth almost £1.8 million were severely injured or killed in dog attacks in 2024.
In England, the Midlands was the worst-hit region by cost, with attacks totalling an estimated £452,000, followed by the south west at £225,000. These figures have fuelled rising concern among farmers and intensified calls for the law to be strengthened.
Previous government plans to tighten livestock worrying legislation stalled when the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was withdrawn in 2023. In response, more than 10,000 people signed an NFU open letter urging ministers to update the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, increase fines and give police the tools needed to tackle rising reports of livestock attacks.
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos described the latest development as a “huge step forward”, saying it means “stronger enforcement powers for the police and increased penalties for irresponsible dog ownership”. She added that “this legislation will act as a real deterrent and will make a real difference to farmers and their livestock”.
The Bill brings the almost 75-year-old law into the modern era by allowing police to use contemporary forensic tools, including DNA sampling and taking mouth impressions from dogs suspected of worrying livestock.
Officers will also be able to detain dogs when no owner is present to take responsibility, while courts will have the power to order offenders to cover the costs of seizing and holding the animal.
Punishments for livestock worrying will be strengthened, and incidents occurring on roads and public paths will now be treated as offences, recognising that livestock are often moved or grazed outside enclosed fields.
The legislation also extends protection to camelids, such as alpacas and llamas, and enables Justices of the Peace to issue warrants authorising the use of the new enforcement powers.
The Bill applies to England and Wales and will allow police to use the enhanced powers to investigate cases that took place before the law formally came into effect.
The NFU thanked Aphra Brandreth MP and Baroness Coffey for steering the legislation through Parliament. Hallos said attacks on livestock have “a devastating impact on farmers, their families and their animals”, and stressed that stronger protections and tougher laws were essential to “reflect the seriousness of this issue”.
