Calderdale farmer speaks of dog attack devastation as young son is left traumatised after witnessing aftermath of onslaught

Farmer Paul Thorp has described the "appalling experience" as new statistics released by NFU Mutual estimate the cost of dog attacks on farm animals across the North East rose by 113.5 per cent to over £240,000 in 2020.

A recent survey commissioned by NFU Mutual in January this year also revealed 64 per cent of dog owners are letting their pets roam free in the countryside, despite numerous warnings from police forces across the county.

Mr Thorp who farms on the moors and valleys near Ripponden, said: "The latest attack was at Christmas. My wife Jill was checking out the flock with our seven-year-old son and they found one sheep already dead and another horribly injured.

"The attack left my son absolutely devastated. He saw the horrific injuries that the dog attack had left. The sheep was so badly mailed that it had to be put down.

“It’s was an appalling experience for a child who has grown up on a family farm where we are out with the sheep every day. It’s something that’s going to be etched on his mind for a long time."

Mr Thorp's farm is known to millions as it sits between the two carriageways of the M62 motorway where it splits into two in a steep Pennines hillside.

He says dog attacks have wreaked havoc on his 1200 ewe flock for 30 years, including one incident where 35 sheep were killed in a single attack.

"Over the years, dog attacks have hit us hard for a while and then died down again, before returning" he said. "This year though, twice the number of people are out with their dogs in our fields, and we’re seeing many more dog owners who let their pets roam off lead, and clearly can’t get them to come back to them.

“A lot of people just don’t seem to understand that it’s a dog’s instinct to chase sheep, and that even if they don’t attack, the stress can lead to ewes losing their lambs. Recently I politely asked a man who was in the middle of a field, way off the footpath, to put his dogs on a lead and got a lot of abuse in return. In a very aggressive rant, he said there was no way his dogs should be on a lead when my sheep dogs weren’t.

“It gets very hard to be civil to people walking on your land when you get abuse like that.

“I entirely understand why so many people are out walking in the countryside at the moment - and that’s absolutely fine, as long as they keep their dogs under control.

"It’s just the small number of people who don’t keep their dogs under control who are responsible for these attacks.”

Research by NFU Mutal has revealed 42 per cent of dog owners have been walking their pets more often in the countryside during the Covid-19 pandemic with 81 per cent of farm owners noticing more people exercising their pets in rural areas.

“With millions more people walking in the countryside as Covid restrictions continue and an increase in dog ownership, we have seen many more horrific attacks resulting in large numbers of sheep being killed and a trail of horrific injuries,” Rebecca Davidson, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual said.

“These attacks cause unbearable suffering to farm animals as well as huge anxiety for farmers and their families as they deal with the aftermath.

“It’s a critical time in the farming calendar and there is widespread concern as we enter the peak lambing season, that there will be a surge in new visitors who are simply unaware of the countryside code or how their dog will behave around farm animals.

“We want people to enjoy the countryside as it’s so important for people’s wellbeing. It’s vital that dog owners act responsibly and keep dogs on a lead at all times whenever there is a possibility livestock are nearby.”

Owners’ responses to seeing dogs attacking livestock have also changed during the pandemic, with only 33 per cent saying they would report an attack taking place to a local farmer or police.

In 2020, the worst-affected region by cost was the North East, where farm animals worth an estimated £240,000 were savaged by dogs. The next most seriously-affected areas were the Midlands, South West and Wales.