Dog owner made to pay vet bills after his husky attacks a sheep near York

On Monday February 8, a husky-type dog ran through a hedge and an electric fence into a field in Dunnington, near York, and attacked two sheep. One suffered a severe leg injury, and the other fled until it collapsed with exhaustion. The cost of treatment could run into hundreds of pounds.

The owner of the sheep spoke to the dog’s owner, and called North Yorkshire Police.

Officers attended, and, with the agreement of the victim, issued a community resolution notice - part of which requires the dog's owner will cover the cost of the vet’s bills.

PCSO Caroline Saville, of North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce, said: “With lambing season approaching, it’s more important than ever that all dog owners take responsibility for their animals.

“I can’t emphasis enough how vital it is for dogs to be on leads and under control when walking near livestock, and kept securely when at home. The last thing farmers need right now is to have to deal with their sheep being attacked and seriously injured or worse - not to mention the economic impact on their livelihoods.”

The incident was reported just a day before after a woman fled the scene of a dog attack in Drax, near Selby, when her Labrador pinned a sheep down and savaged it.

She was challenged by a farm worker when her dog, which was not on a lead, ran from a footpath into a field of sheep. She drove off without engaging with the man.