Dacorum dog owners reminded to ensure their pets are kept under control around livestock

Police have received several reports of livestock worrying incidents across Hertfordshire
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Hertfordshire Police's Rural Operational Support Team (ROST) is once again calling on dog owners to ensure their pets are kept under control at all times while out walking.

Police have received several reports of livestock worrying incidents across the county in recent weeks.

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It is crucial that you keep your dog on a short lead around livestock, even if you can usually trust it to come when called.

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Police

If you live in or near an agricultural area, you must also make sure that your dog cannot escape from your property as it may find its way onto land containing livestock.

Under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, if a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the person in charge of the dog is guilty of an offence.

The act considers sheep worrying to include attacking sheep, chasing them in a way that may cause injury, suffering, abortion or loss of produce, or being at large (i.e. not on a lead or otherwise under close control) in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep.

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The act does not require livestock to be killed for this offence to be committed.

Dog owners can also be convicted for ‘allowing their dog to be dangerously out of control’ and in some cases owners have been cautioned or summonsed to court.

If you see an incident of sheep worrying in progress you should call 999.

If the incident has already happened and is no longer in progress, you can report information online or call 101.