New figures from UK rural insurance provider NFU Mutual put the cost of dog attacks on livestock at £1.95m across the UK and at £152,000 for Northern Ireland alone in 2025.

The UK damage cost estimate represents a rise of 10% on 2024, while NI’s estimate is a drop of 30%.

The figures come as NFU Mutual released the results of a survey of over 1,400 people, which found that over half of dog owners allow their dogs off leashes in the countryside and that two-thirds do not believe their dogs are capable of harming livestock.

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One in 10 of those surveyed reported that their dog has no recall and another 44% said that their dogs respond to calls only ‘some’ or ‘most’ of the time.

Around 5% of the dog owners surveyed admitted that their dogs had chased livestock and more than three-fifths felt that other dog owners in their area did not treat livestock worrying as a serious issue.

Furthermore, 72% claimed that they were not actively taking steps to prevent their dogs from chasing livestock.

Concerning

“As the lambing season gets under way, a time when pregnant ewes and newborn lambs are vulnerable, it is deeply concerning to see the estimated cost of livestock worrying rise to nearly £2m in 2025,” NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist Hannah Binns said.

“For farmers and their families, witnessing these horrific incidents or finding injured or dead livestock after an attack can be utterly heartbreaking.”

The insurance provider highlighted the plight of UK farmers “living with the constant fear of repeat incidents” which inflict suffering not only on livestock, but on the farmers left dealing with the aftermath of an attack.

“Ignoring the risks is never an option - regardless of breed, size or temperament, all dogs can chase, injure or kill livestock,” Binns continued.

“Even without physical contact, the stress of being chased can lead to exhaustion and stress and, in some cases, separate young lambs from their mothers, which can lead to them being orphaned,” she said, before reiterating NFU Mutual’s calls for dog owners to keep their pets on leads.

“If there is an incident, we urge those involved to do the right thing by informing a local farmer and reporting it to the local dog warden, so that any injured animals are not left suffering in pain.”