Livestock worrying: the law explained

Legal Guides

Livestock worrying has huge implications for farmers. This business guide seeks to address some of your questions and concerns and gives guidance on how to deal with these distressing incidents.

IMPORTANT: the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 (2025 Act) received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025 but the provisions of the 2025 Act do not come into force until Wednesday 18 March 2026. However we have included a QA summarising the changes due to come into force in March 2026. The rest of this document sets out the current legal position and, unless stated otherwise, will continue to apply after 18 March 2026. 

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