Livestock Worrying
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of livestock worrying on the finances of farming communities.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
The Government has taken steps to address the financial impact of livestock worrying on farming communities through the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025.
The 2025 Act amends the 1953 Act, introducing new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying, modernising the definitions and scope, strengthening police powers to collect evidence and prosecute offenders, and increasing the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.
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