Unlimited fines for dog owners if livestock attacked

Fahad Redha

March 18, 2026
3 min read

Unlimited fines for dog owners if livestock attacked

Dog owners could see unlimited fines as well as their pets taken away under new laws to protect livestock in England and Wales from being attacked.

The existing “livestock worrying” laws date back over 70 years, with the changes giving police the power to take DNA samples from dogs that are suspected of attacking, chasing, or causing distress to livestock.

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Nearly £2 million worth of livestock is estimated to be severely injured or killed by dogs up to 2025, a 10% increase on the previous year, insurance firm NFU Mutual says. The new changes introduced by the the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, will see the maximum penalty rise from £1,000 to unlimited fines.

Police will now have new powers to seize any dog that they believe to be posing an ongoing threat to livestock. It also gives them powers to enter a premises and secure any evidence or the DNA of an animal. The new powers also allow courts to order that any offender pays any expenses that are associated with seizing or detaining a dog.

Even if an incident occurs on a road or public path, it can still lead to prosecution, rather than only those on private farmland. The definition of livestock animals protected by law has expanded and now covers more animals including llamas and alpacas.

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