With March marking the start of spring, dog owners are being urged to protect new-born livestock and breeding birds by keeping their dogs on leads while out walking.

With miles of footpaths, bridleways and open access land, Dartmoor is the perfect place for people to enjoy with their canine pets. But livestock worrying is a major concern; already there has been an unusually high number of dog attacks this year. During the breeding season (March 1 – July 31) ground nesting birds such as meadow pipits, skylarks and snipe love Dartmoor’s vegetation and blend in so well you wouldn’t know they were there. Here, they sit on their eggs and rear their chicks but can be disturbed or hurt easily by roaming dogs. Pregnant ewes, cows and ponies are grazing the land too. New-born lambs are particularly vulnerable to harm from dogs off leads. Dogs don’t need to chase animals for them to become scared or stressed; their presence can still cause a frightened animal to abort or abandon its young.

Ranger team manager Simon Lee said: ‘It’s a fantastic time to visit Dartmoor; everything is bursting into life and the weather is generally milder, but it’s also a busy time for the animals and birds which call Dartmoor home too. Wherever you want to go, it’s a really good idea to keep your dog on a short lead, especially around livestock.’

There have been 17 reported livestock worrying incidents this year so far. In 2021, there was a total of 108 – the highest since 2018.

‘It’s so important that people keep dogs on leads around livestock,’ said Dartmoor livestock protection officer Karla McKechnie. ‘There’s no excuse for dogs not being under control and it’s not OK to leave animals suffering. If anyone sees a dog worrying animals, we’d encourage them to report it straight away.’ Call 07873 587 561 to report an incident or phone police on 101.