Dog homeowners face limitless fines underneath new invoice | EUROtoday

Dog homeowners in England and Wales now face limitless fines if their pets fear livestock, together with newly protected llamas and alpacas. Peers and MPs have collectively agreed to carry the earlier £1,000 cap on penalties for canine assaults on livestock.

This change, a part of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill, extends safeguards to camelids, putting them on par with goats, sheep, cattle, and poultry.

Conservative former deputy prime minister Baroness Therese Coffey, who steered the invoice via the higher chamber, stated: “Livestock worrying has devastating consequences, both for animals and farmers, and it can be horrific, causing brutal injuries that are tragically often fatal.

“There are instances of stress causing pregnant livestock to miscarry, and separation of mothers and their young leading to hypothermia and, of course, starvation.”

open picture in gallery

The Bill, as soon as it receives royal assent, will replace the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 to broaden its scope, bringing roads and paths into scope alongside fields and enclosures.

“That will give farmers greater reassurance when moving livestock,” Lady Coffey instructed friends.

Police officers may also achieve new powers to grab canine which pose a threat of repeated assaults.

Lady Coffey described the proposal, which has now cleared each homes of Parliament, as a “straightforward way to make sure that we help our farmers, whose primary role is to grow food to put on our plate”.

Lord Colgrain, who can be a Conservative peer, stated: “This small and seemingly innocuous bill will provide, when it receives royal assent, the best possible Christmas present to all livestock owners.”

Animals minister Baroness Hayman of Ullock stated: “The provisions will serve as a deterrent but also restore confidence among farmers and members of rural communities, many of whom live in fear of the devastating impact of such incidents and what impact they have on their livelihoods and also the welfare of their animals.

“This bill is a truly meaningful step forward in our commitment to animal welfare and to those who work tirelessly to sustain our agricultural sector.”