Sheep farmers tell Sunak e-collar ban will add to ‘growing menace of dog attacks’

The ban on remote-controlled e-collars will worsen the “growing menace of dog attacks” on sheep, farmers have warned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

More than 400 sheep farmers have signed a letter to Sunak – seen by The Telelgraph – “demanding action to reduce dog attacks”, while also warning that the ban on e-collars will increase livestock attacks and the number of out-of-control dogs being shot.

Phil Stocker, Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association, who sent the letter, said: “Defra says that some half a million dogs are trained with e-collars. If that training is banned next February, the consequences during lambing season will cause fury around the countryside.”

In addition, the 441 signatories said that they welcomed government campaigns for people to keep dogs on leads, but it was not enough.

“Fines alone will not solve the problem,” the letter says. “Yet please do not make it even worse by banning e-collar training for high prey drive dogs.”

It adds: “Science shows that dogs trained with e-collars show no appetite for attacking sheep even when they have escaped from their owners.”

Defra has yet to comment on The Telegraph’s story.

Meanwhile, West Mercia Police are trying to trace a dog owner after as many as 28 sheep have been killed at different farms. Officers have released a picture of one of the offending dogs.