Bulldogs: Police appealing to speak to two women after dogs savagely attacks sheep in the Ribble Valley

The dogs, of the Bulldog breed, are believed to have killed the sheep on Sunday around the quarry area in Clerk Hill Road, Sabden, near to Whalley Golf Club.

The incident is the latest in a sharp rise of dog attacks on sheep in the past week, according to the police.

Officers would like to speak with two women who were seen close to the area shortly before the dead sheep was discovered. They are described as being in their 20’s, walking dogs described as dark or tan colour, of the Bulldog variety. The women were again seen in Wiswell, with one getting into a red car, this time without the dogs.

In a Facebook post, a police spokesperson said: “We have had to deal with a lot of otherwise law-abiding people in the past after their dog committed attacks on livestock and at times are left with no option but to prosecute these owners due to the seriousness of the attack, leaving them with a criminal record.”

Under The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, a person can be penalised if their dog attacks livestock on any agricultural ground. This includes if the dog chases them in a way that could cause injury or suffering to the sheep or the abortion of a female’s lambs. Owners must also legally keep their dogs on a lead or in close control in a field or enclosure in which there are sheep.

The police spokesperson added: "These attacks are not only limited to larger more aggressive breeds of dog. We have attended reports of fatal attacks by dogs as small as French Bulldogs and we often hear from owners that they never believed their dog would be capable of such attacks and had never displayed any aggressive behaviour before.

"If you are walking a dog in and around agricultural land, please just take a minute to consider what livestock may be around and if in any doubt at all put your dog on a lead.”

If you have any information, please contact the police via [email protected] or 101 quoting log number LC-20230402-1026.