DORSET Police is appealing to the public to prevent livestock attacks which they say are happening 'time and time again'.

There has been a number of shocking incidents in Dorset where dogs off the lead have attacked cows and sheep.

Earlier this month a pregnant sheep was left mutilated following a vicious attack in a field near Slape Mill in Waytown, near Bridport.

In west Dorset a campaign for a change in the law to keep dogs on leads around livestock is gathering momentum.

The Dorset Police Rural Crime Team said such attacks are 'entirely preventable'.

A spokesman said: "Sheep who fall victim to these attacks often suffer intense stress and horrific injuries.

"It impacts the sheep farmer emotionally and financially. Sheep farmers are already likely to be under immense pressure and uncertainty, worries about their flock, the price of fuel, feed, veterinary costs, land rent, market prices, contracts, disease, productivity.

"They have spent all year caring for their flock, getting little to zero sleep during lambing, monitoring, treating, investing in.

"Then to face the horrific scene of seeing their lambs or ewes ripped apart, the immediate injuries or deaths, the subsequent impacts of lost lambs, stillbirths, sickness and stress. It affects the farmer's mental health and may be the one incident too many."

The team said many dog owners are horrified and are unable to recall their dog once they are in full on prey drive mode.

Following a livestock attack the owner will be interviewed, action taken, with a minimum of a Dog Control Order and asked to pay costs to the farmer.

For those that have come to notice before, then it will be heard at court. This means an order can be made to have the dog put down.

The team said: ""We really really don't want to do this. It is not the dog's fault.

"Dogs appear to be wolves to sheep and cattle and other livestock. It is not a sensible thing to do to walk your dog through a field of sheep or cattle, especially when cattle have recently calved."

The team has asked that the public take the following steps to ensure their safety and that of the animals around them:

* Avoid walking your dog in a field or close to livestock

* If you have to walk your dog near a field of livestock then keep it on a lead

* Ensure your dog cannot escape from your home or garden

* Never walk in to a field and just let your dog off without checking if livestock are now in the field that day. They can be moved about