The creation of herding dog breeds is associated with the development of sheep, goat and cattle breeding. The function of sheep herding dogs is to protect herds from a variety of wild predators, as well as for moving herds from one location to another in an orderly fashion. Nevertheless, it turns out that allowing dogs to chase, harass or bite sheep — often referred to as “sheep worrying” — is a criminal offense in England and Wales as of March 18, 2026, when the Protection of Livestock Act was passed. That’s because chasing by dogs can do serious damage to sheep, even if the dog doesn’t catch them. The stress of worrying by dogs can cause sheep to die and pregnant ewes to miscarry their lambs. Then there are the direct emotional and mental health consequences on the farmers and their families. All of this costs money and time, so any detriment to the sheep also harms the farmer’s livelihood. Sheep worrying includes attacking or chasing sheep. Courts can now impose unlimited fines and require compensation for vet bills or livestock losses. Police can also seize and detain dogs, and farmers are legally permitted to shoot a dog if it’s endangering their livestock and there’s no other way to stop it.
