Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill

A Bill to make provision changing the law about the offence of livestock worrying, including changes to what constitutes an offence and increased powers for investigation of suspected offences; and for connected purposes.

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This is the latest version of the Bill

Available Versions

7 Jul 2025
Lords: Committee
HL Bill 118 (as brought from the Commons)
(0 amendments)
22 Nov 2024
Commons: Committee
Bill 062 2024-25 (as introduced)
(1 amendments)
Date Debate
Wednesday 21st May 2025 Committee stage

Relevant Documents

Bill PDF
HL Bill 118 (as brought from the Commons)
Explanatory Note
Bill 062 EN 2024-25
Impact Assessment
Livestock Worrying Reforms - Impact Assessment

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Page 1

1
Livestock worrying: scope and consequences of offence
 
 
The Schedule contains amendments to the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act
 
 
1953 that—
 
 
(a)
bring incidents on roads and paths within the scope of the offence in
 
 
section 1 of that Act ;
5
 
(b)
bring camelids within the definition of “livestock” that applies for the
 
 
purposes of that offence;
 
 
(c)
exempt a dog owner from liability for that offence where the dog is
 
 
in the charge of another person without the owner’s consent;
 
 
(d)
increase the penalty that may be imposed where a person is convicted
10
 
of that offence;
 
 
(e)
allow for a court to order an offender to pay expenses associated with
 
 
seizing and detaining a dog;
 
 
(f)
update the terminology used in that Act so that attacking livestock is
 
 
dealt with separately from worrying livestock.
15
2
Seizure and detention of dogs
 
 
(1)
For section 2 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 substitute—
 
“2
Seizure and detention of dogs
 
 
Dog found without owner or person in charge
 
 
(1)
A constable may seize a dog if—
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(a)
they have reasonable grounds to believe that the dog has
 
 
attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land or on a road
 
 
or path, and
 

Page 2

 
(b)
nobody present where the dog is found admits to being the
 
 
dog’s owner or in charge of it.
 
 
(2)
A constable may detain a dog seized under subsection (1) until the
 
 
owner has claimed it and paid all expenses incurred by reason of its
 
 
seizure and detention.
5
 
(3)
If the owner of the dog does not claim it and pay those expenses
 
 
before the end of the period of seven days beginning with the day
 
 
after the day on which the dog was seized under subsection (1) , a
 
 
constable may dispose of the dog.
 
 
(4)
If the constable disposes of the dog by giving it or selling it to a person
10
 
acting in good faith, that person becomes the owner of the dog.
 
 
(5)
The chief officer of police for each police area must keep, or cause to
 
 
be kept, a register of all dogs seized under subsection (1) in their area,
 
 
containing the following information—
 
 
(a)
a brief description of the dog;
15
 
(b)
the date of seizure of the dog;
 
 
(c)
if the dog is disposed of under subsection (3) , how.
 
 
(6)
Each register kept under subsection (5) must be available, at all
 
 
reasonable times, for inspection by the public free of charge.
 
 
(7)
For the purposes of this section, “disposing of” a dog includes—
20
 
(a)
causing it to be disposed of, and
 
 
(b)
destroying it or causing it to be destroyed,
 
 
but does not include disposing of it for the purposes of vivisection.
 
 
Dog posing continuing threat
 
 
(8)
A constable may seize a dog if they have reasonable grounds to believe
25
 
that—
 
 
(a)
the dog has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land
 
 
or on a road or path, and
 
 
(b)
unless it is detained, there is a risk that the dog could attack
 
 
or worry livestock again.
30
 
(9)
A constable may detain a dog seized under subsection (8) —
 
 
(a)
until an investigation has been carried out into whether an
 
 
offence under section 1 has been committed by reason of the
 
 
dog attacking or worrying livestock, or
 
 
(b)
if proceedings are brought in respect of such an offence, until
35
 
those proceedings have been determined or withdrawn.”
 
 
(2)
Section 3 of the Dogs Act 1906 (seizure of stray dogs), so far as still in force
 
 
by virtue of section 68 (2) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act
 
 
2005 , is repealed.
 

Page 3

3
Collection of samples and impressions
 
 
After section 2 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 insert—
 
“2ZA
Collection of samples and impressions
 
 
(1)
Subsection (2) applies where a constable has reasonable grounds to
 
 
believe that—
5
 
(a)
a dog has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land
 
 
or on a road or path, and
 
 
(b)
information derived from a sample or impression taken from
 
 
the dog might provide evidence of an offence under section 1.
 
 
(2)
A sample or impression may be taken from the dog; and a constable
10
 
may seize and detain the dog in order that the sample or impression
 
 
may be taken.
 
 
(3)
Subsection (4) applies where a constable has reasonable grounds to
 
 
believe that—
 
 
(a)
a dog has attacked or worried livestock on agricultural land
15
 
or on a road or path, and
 
 
(b)
information derived from a sample or impression taken from
 
 
any livestock might provide evidence of an offence under
 
 
section 1.
 
 
(4)
A sample or impression may be taken from the livestock.
20
 
(5)
If taking a sample or impression under this section would amount to
 
 
veterinary surgery, it must be done by a veterinary surgeon.
 
 
(6)
A sample or impression taken under this section may be retained—
 
 
(a)
until an investigation has been carried out into whether an
 
 
offence under section 1 has been committed by reason of the
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dog attacking or worrying livestock, or
 
 
(b)
if proceedings are brought in respect of such an offence, until
 
 
those proceedings have been determined or withdrawn.
 
 
(7)
In this section—
 
 
“sample” means any material that has come from the body of an
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animal and consists of, or includes, animal cells;
 
 
“veterinary surgeon” means a person registered in the register of
 
 
veterinary surgeons, or the supplementary veterinary register,
 
 
kept under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 ;
 
 
“veterinary surgery” has the same meaning as in that Act .”
35

Page 4

4
Powers of entry
 
 
For section 2A of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 substitute—
 
“2A
Power of justice of the peace to authorise entry and search
 
 
(1)
Subsection (2) applies if, on an application made by a constable, a
 
 
justice of the peace is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for
5
 
believing—
 
 
(a)
that an offence under section 1 has been committed, and
 
 
(b)
that the dog in respect of which the offence has been committed
 
 
is on premises specified in the application.
 
 
(2)
The justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorising a constable
10
 
to enter and search the premises in order to—
 
 
(a)
identify the dog,
 
 
(b)
seize and detain the dog under section 2, or
 
 
(c)
take a sample or impression from the dog under section 2ZA.
 
 
(3)
Subsection (4) applies if, on an application made by a constable, a
15
 
justice of the peace is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for
 
 
believing—
 
 
(a)
that an offence under section 1 has been committed, and
 
 
(b)
that anything that may be evidence of that offence could be
 
 
on premises specified in the application.
20
 
(4)
The justice of the peace may issue a warrant authorising a constable
 
 
to enter and search the premises in order to seize any evidence of that
 
 
offence that may be found.
 
 
(5)
A warrant under this section may authorise the constable executing
 
 
it to use reasonable force if necessary.”
25
5
Extent, commencement, transitional provision and short title
 
 
(1)
This Act extends to England and Wales only.
 
 
(2)
This Act comes into force at the end of the period of three months beginning
 
 
with the day on which this Act is passed.
 
 
(3)
The fact that any worrying or attacking of livestock took place (or is alleged
30
 
to have taken place) before this Act comes into force does not in itself affect
 
 
the availability, in connection with that worrying or attacking, of the powers
 
 
conferred by virtue of sections 2 , 3 and 4 .
 
 
(4)
This Act may be cited as the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment)
 
 
Act 2025.
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Page 5

 
Schedule
Section 1
 

Amendments to the

 
 
1
(1)
Section 1 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (offence) is amended
 
 
as follows.
 
 
(2)
In subsection (1) (creation of offence)—
5
 
(a)
before “worries” insert “attacks or”;
 
 
(b)
after “land” insert “or on a road or path”.
 
 
(3)
In subsection (2) (meaning of “worrying livestock”), omit paragraph (a) .
 
 
(4)
In subsection (3) (livestock trespassing), after “a dog” insert “on any
 
 
agricultural land”.
10
 
(5)
After subsection (3) insert—
 
 
“(3A)
A person is not guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of
 
 
anything done by a dog on a road or path if at the material time
 
 
the livestock are on the road or path as a result of straying from
 
 
where they are kept, unless the person causes the dog to attack the
15
 
livestock.”
 
 
(6)
In subsection (4) (dog in charge of someone other than owner)—
 
 
(a)
before “worrying” insert “attacking or”;
 
 
(b)
for “he proves” substitute “the owner proves”;
 
 
(c)
before “worried” insert “attacked or”;
20
 
(d)
for the words from “, whom” to the end substitute “and that—
 
 
“(a)
the owner reasonably believed that other person to
 
 
be a fit and proper person to be in charge of the dog,
 
 
or
 
 
(b)
the owner did not consent to the dog’s being in the
25
 
charge of that other person.”
 
 
(7)
For subsection (6) substitute—
 
 
“(6)
A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on
 
 
summary conviction to a fine.
 
 
(7)
Where—
30
 
(a)
a person is convicted of an offence under this section which
 
 
was committed on or after this subsection comes into force,
 
 
and
 
 
(b)
the dog in respect of which the offence was committed was
 
 
seized and detained in connection with the offence in
35
 
accordance with section 2 (8) and (9) (dogs posing continuing
 
 
threat),
 
 
the court may order the person to pay whatever sum the court
 
 
determines to be the reasonable expenses incurred by reason of the
 
 
dog’s seizure and detention.
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Page 6

 
(8)
A court may make an order under subsection (7) whether or not it
 
 
deals with the person in any other way for the offence.
 
 
(9)
A sum required to be paid by an order under subsection (7) is
 
 
treated for the purposes of enforcement as if it were compensation
 
 
payable under a compensation order (as defined in section 133 of
5
 
the Sentencing Code).”
 
 
(8)
For the heading substitute “Offence where dog attacks or worries livestock”.
 
 
2
In section 3 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (interpretation),
 
 
in subsection (1) , in the definition of “livestock”, after “horses,” insert
 
 
“camelids”.
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Amendments

No amendments available.