Dog walkers in Cornwall warned one decision could cost them dearly

You let the lead go slack for a moment. The field looked empty. Then your dog spots the sheep.

That split second is what Devon & Cornwall Police want people to think about this autumn, as the force reminds anyone living in or visiting the two counties that owning or walking a dog comes with responsibilities.

The message is short and blunt. Keep your dog on a lead, stay alert, and never let it run loose around animals. Because, as the force puts it, one careless decision can leave animals dead, farmers devastated and dog owners facing prosecution.

The campaign runs under the hashtag #TakeTheLead.

Why a “friendly” dog is still a risk

Livestock worrying covers more than a dog biting or killing an animal. Chasing sheep or cattle, or running loose among them in a way that could cause injury or suffering, counts too.

And a dog doesn’t have to make contact to do damage. Sheep that are chased can panic, crash through fences, end up in water or injure themselves. Ewes carrying lambs through the autumn and winter months can lose them after being chased, sometimes days after the dog has gone.

It isn’t only certain breeds either. Any dog, however gentle at home, can chase, injure or kill livestock once its instincts kick in.

How the law changed this year

Livestock worrying has been a criminal offence since the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953. But the law was updated this year, and the penalties are now far tougher.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 came into force in England and Wales on 18 March 2026. Under it:

• The maximum fine has gone from £1,000 to unlimited
• Police can seize and detain dogs suspected of worrying livestock, including when the incident wasn’t directly witnessed
• Officers can take DNA samples and mouth impressions from dogs to gather evidence
• Police can enter premises under a warrant to collect evidence
• The offence now applies on roads and paths, not only in fields
• Llamas and alpacas are protected alongside sheep, cattle, goats and poultry

Farmers can also, in certain circumstances, be legally entitled to shoot a dog that is worrying their livestock.

What to do when you’re walking near livestock

• Keep your dog on a short lead in any field or on any path where there are, or could be, farm animals. Fields that look empty often aren’t.
• Stay alert. Look ahead before going through gates and over stiles, and keep an eye out for animals on open moorland and cliff paths.
• Make sure your dog can’t escape from your home, garden or holiday accommodation. Dogs that slip out and roam unseen are behind many attacks.
• If cattle chase you, the Countryside Code advises letting your dog off the lead. It will usually outrun them, and you’ll be safer.
• Follow local signs from farmers and landowners about livestock and dogs.

If you see an attack

If a dog is attacking or chasing livestock right now, call 999. To report an incident after it has happened, call 101 or report it on the Devon & Cornwall Police website.

Telling the farmer, if you know whose land it is, can make a real difference too. They may not know their animals have been hurt.

Under the new law, the register of dogs seized by police for livestock worrying must be open to public inspection.