Last week, as the lambing season got underway for sheep farmers, the National Sheep Association issued a call in a bid to reduce the number of dog attacks on livestock, and raise awareness of the even greater impact attacks have at this time of year.

NSA is urging farmers whose sheep have been attacked to get in touch and complete a survey on the incident. The Association has launched its third annual survey on the issue of sheep worrying, and is attempting to build up an accurate picture of the emotional and financial impacts dog attacks have on farmers.

The call was issued as an investigation by BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today revealed that one dog a week is shot in England and Wales, following an incident involving livestock. Shooting dogs that are worrying livestock is legal, so long as farmers report the incident to the police immediately.

The Farming Today report, broadcast on Monday morning, used police figures and records from every police force for the five years to December 2015. With 54 reports, Police in West Yorkshire had the highest number of incidences of dogs being shot. The full programme is available here for 30 days.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker said, “Sheep worrying by dogs is an issue NSA has been vocal about for some time now, and frustratingly we are continuing to hear reports of attacks on a regular basis. Gathering evidence and information is key when communicating the scale of this issue to both the public and the police.

“While our aim is not to discourage people from walking their dogs in the British countryside, it really is vital to get across the message that any dog is capable of harming livestock. Aside from the obvious harm physical injuries like bites can have, equally as detrimental can be the aftermath of a dog simply chasing sheep, particularly at this crucial time of year when ewes are likely to be heavily pregnant or have young lambs at foot.”

Sheep farmers who’ve experienced a dog attack can access the survey here. The survey will close on Monday 11th April 2016.