DOG attacks on livestock have cost farmers more than £1m, according to new figures from NFU Mutual.

The rural insurer says that south west farmers are the worst hit and it is now mounting a new campaign urging dog owners to keep their pets under control.

Farms in west Dorset have been victim to livestock worrying.

Last year a lamb had to be put down after being attacked by a dog off Dottery Road, near Bridport, and a heavily pregnant ewe also had to be put down despite vets and the farmer battling to save her following an attack in Waytown.

Sheep have also been killed after being attacked by dogs at Cowleaze Farm in West Bay, which resulted in two dogs also being put down, and sheep in Bridport and a female alpaca were also killed after being chased by dogs.

Dorset Police reported 40 cases of livestock worrying in the county last year and five cases in January this year.

Although the research by NFU Mutual shows more dog owners are putting their pets on leads, it also found that 87 per cent of dog owners exercise their pets in the countryside, with more than 60 per cent letting them off their leads.

If there is a sign warning dog owners that livestock are in a field, 95 per cent of people said they would put their dog on a lead and six per cent said their pet had chased livestock in the past.

Most dog owners – 61 per cent - would try to stop a dog chasing a sheep in the countryside and supported measures to crack down on the problem of livestock worrying. Three quarters of dog owners said they would support heavy fines, 66 per cent would support a ban on dogs from livestock fields during lambing season, while 57 per cent would back laws enabling DNA testing of dogs and 42 per cent would support owners being banned from keeping dogs if their pet had been involved in an attack.

Chris Roberts, NFU Mutual manager for the south west, said: “While it is encouraging news that more people are putting their dog on the lead while out in the countryside, dog attacks are still at a very high level.

“We are receiving increasing reports of local dogs escaping from homes and attacking sheep, either because their owners do not know or do not care that their dogs are roaming wild and causing havoc.

“Thousands of sheep are being killed and horribly mutilated by dogs and we will be redoubling our efforts to raise awareness of the issue and helping police to bring owners of dogs which attack livestock to justice.

“As the insurer of nearly three-quarters of the UK’s farmers, we are sadly all too aware of the heartbreak and distress that dog attacks cause. For south west small farmers in particular, livestock worrying is devastating because it has a huge impact on their livelihood.

“While insurance can cover the cost of replacing stock killed and the treatment of injured animals, there is a knock-on effect on breeding programmes that can take years to overcome.”