The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 receives Royal Assent
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025. Since the original Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act was passed in 1953, there has been an increase in dog ownership and more visits to the countryside. The aim of the new law is to strike a fair balance between safeguarding animal welfare, while enabling responsible dog ownership and our enjoyment of the countryside. While most dog owners are responsible and respect the need to protect rural livelihoods, the figures suggest that there are an estimated 34,000 incidents of livestock worrying in England and Wales every year. NFU research published last year also found that the total cost of livestock worrying across the UK in the past year had reached £1.8 million.
The law now distinguishes more clearly between a dog attacking livestock and a dog worrying livestock, i.e. harassment without contact. ‘Livestock Worrying’ might include chasing livestock, persistent barking near livestock (even without physical contact), circling or herding without control, entering an enclosure and causing agitation or following livestock along a road or path, safeguarding livestock during transit. In general terms Livestock Worring can include any behaviours that could lead to injury, miscarriage, or death in livestock.
Caelids (such as llamas and alpacas), which are increasingly commonly farmed, are now afforded protection alongside traditional livestock such as sheep, cattle, goats, and poultry.
The previous maximum fine of £1,000 for livestock worrying has been removed, replaced with an unlimited fine, allowing the courts to impose penalties which reflect the severity of each case. As well as having new powers under the Act to collect evidence, the police can now seize dogs suspected of causing harm and detain them until they are claimed by the owner and relevant expenses are covered. Those expenses can now include the expense of seizing and caring for a dog that has been detained.
The Act introduces a new defence for dog owners where their dog worries livestock whilst in someone else’s charge without the dog owner’s consent, such as if it had been stolen or taken without permission.
The amendments mark the conclusion of much lobbying work by farming and countryside organisations. No new offences have been created, but the law better captures the impact of these incidents on the rural community, aligning modern countryside practices and animal welfare expectations.
