North Wales Police help shape new livestock protection law
A new law to protect livestock from dog attacks is set to come into force after the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill passed its third reading in the House of Lords.
The legislation, which now awaits Royal Assent, has been strongly backed by North Wales Police’s Rural Crime Team, who have campaigned for more than a decade for stronger legal protections for farmers and livestock.
Officers from the team say they have been at the forefront of national efforts to reform the law, leading consultations, providing evidence, and working with farming unions and academic partners to shape the final bill.
The new law introduces several key changes, including extending protection to alpacas and llamas, broadening coverage to include roads and paths, and giving police greater enforcement powers.
Fines for offences will be unlimited, and police will be able to seize and retain dogs involved in livestock worrying. Officers will also be permitted to take forensic samples and apply for warrants to enter premises to seize and examine dogs.
The updated legislation also defines the concept of “close control” more clearly, placing greater responsibility on dog owners to prevent attacks.
A spokesperson for the Rural Crime Team said: “We deal with attacks on livestock on a weekly basis and see first-hand the utter devastation that can cause to both the farmers and dog owners and despite numbers of livestock attacks reducing here in Wales we feel that this new legislation will go a long way to reducing it even further.
“We are proud of the part we as a team have played in helping bring this legislation to where it is and we will make full use of the new powers available to us to help reduce these incidents even further.”
The team added that more information for dog owners will be shared once the law comes into effect. In the meantime, they continue to urge the public to keep dogs on leads around livestock.
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