DOG OWNERS have been warned to keep their pets under control when walking them in the countryside during lambing season after five dogs were shot across West Mercia and Warwickshire last week.
The animals were shot by farmers for killing sheep and their unborn babies in two separate incidents which happened last Thursday and Friday (January 19 and 20).
In the first of the incidents on Thursday a dog was shot at a farm in Daventry Then on Friday another one suffered the same fate in Leamington Spa.
During the incidents the sheep and their unborn babies were killed and the dogs also died.
Another incident happened in South Birmingham when two dogs were shot on a farm in Alcester Road South. That incident was reported to police by a resident of the farm. One of the dogs died and the other was injured.
Members of the public reported dogs running loose in the area just before the incident.
PC Mike Barnett, dog legislation officer for Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police, said: “We are at the very beginning of lambing season and we are already starting to have problems with dogs.
“Farmers are within their rights to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land.
“To lose sheep and unborn lambs has a big effect on farmers’ livelihoods.
“To lose a loved pet causes huge upset for dog owners too.
“All it takes to avoid this distress is to keep dogs on leads and make sure they cannot get out and run loose.”
Farmers can get signage to put up on their properties from safer neighbourhood teams.
Visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/myarea to find your local team.
More information can also be found: https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/16413/Livestock-and-worrying-dogs-in-the-countryside
