Operation Recall - A national campaign supported by Derbyshire Constabulary’s Rural Crime Team

Rural Crime Team - ‘Operation Recall’

* Farm worker tells of heartache over dog shooting as part of campaign to crackdown on livestock worrying: 

A farm worker has described being faced with the agonising decision of having to shoot a dog which was repeatedly attacking his sheep as ‘one of my worst ever days in farming’. 

The gamekeeper was called out to reports that a dog was attacking sheep at a farm in the High Peak during the afternoon of Wednesday 17 December. 

He arrived at the scene on a hillside field on his quad bike and made numerous attempts to try and usher the dog away from the sheep. 

He also fired off a number of warning shots using his legally-owned shotgun and repeatedly said he did not want to have to shoot the animal.  

The dog’s owner also tried to get the pet away from the area. 

However, the Belgian Malinois repeatedly chased and attacked the sheep. 

The gamekeeper was left in the perilous position of having to make the last-resort decision to shoot the animal in order to prevent it from attacking any more livestock. 

The farm worker has also agreed to speak publicly about the incident, during which the dog was fatally wounded, in order to share the emotional impact this has left on him.

We also hope that sharing his story will also highlight how farm workers are faced with the same agonising dilemma up and down the country on a regular basis when people fail to keep control of their dogs around livestock. 

This is all part of ‘Operation Recall’ – a national campaign supported by Derbyshire Constabulary’s Rural Crime Team which encourages dog owners to look after their pets responsibly in the countryside. 

The gamekeeper said: “The amount of stress this caused me in the moment and since the incident has been significant – it was probably the worst day I’ve ever experienced in farming. 

“I did everything I could to try and get the dog away from the area but it just wouldn’t leave.

“Having to shoot it was heart-breaking and I never wanted to do it. It was an absolute last resort. 

“I don’t think dog owners realise the awful position they are putting farm workers in by letting their dogs off the lead who then go on to attack livestock.”

He added: “Another problem we often have is people see one dog let off the lead and others follow suit.

“Because they have seen someone else do it, they think it is okay to let their dog off the lead – but it isn’t okay. People are putting livestock at risk. 

“I don’t think people realise that livestock can die even if they have not been physically attacked by a dog. 

“Just being chased and barked at loudly and repeatedly can be enough to induce so much stress that it can be fatal.

“We are also in lambing season and the stress of being chased by a dog can also lead to sheep losing their lambs as a result of it.

“We just want people to enjoy the countryside responsibly – please keep your dog on a lead.”

‘Operation Recall’ runs all-year-round and is particularly timely right now as we are in  lambing season - a time when high number of farm animals tend to be out in fields when we often see a rise in livestock worrying incidents like the one highlighted above. 

The operation has one clear message: ‘Protect your dog. Protect livestock’.

We are encouraging dog owners to:-

*Keep dogs either on a lead or under close control around livestock.

*If you are walking your dog in a field and there is no livestock around, please keep the dog in sight at all times, and be confident it will return to you on command. If you cannot be confident of this, the dog should not be off the lead.

*Ensure the dog does not stray off the path or area where you have right of access.

A dog chasing or attacking livestock is a crime under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 and can cause emotional and financial damage for both the farmer and the dog’s owner.

A new law was passed in December 2025 to increase the maximum fine for livestock worrying from £1000 to an unlimited fine. Police were also given extra powers to detain dogs believed to pose an ongoing threat to livestock.  

In the UK, farmers are legally permitted to shoot a dog if it is actively worrying, attacking, or about to cause immediate harm to their livestock as a last resort. 

More than 110 livestock worrying incidents were reported to Derbyshire police in a two-year period between March 2023 and March 2025. 

In December last year, officers issued three Community Protection Warnings (CPWs) to people involved in livestock worrying incidents.

The CPWs last for a year and come with strict conditions including keeping your dogs on a lead in public at all times. 

Livestock worrying forms one of nine key priority areas as part of The Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-2028 – a new three-year strategy for tackling rural crime set out by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). 

* Police Constable James Hall, from our Rural Crime Team, said: 

“We are blessed with beautiful countryside here in Derbyshire and we want everyone who visits rural areas to enjoy the great outdoors, but to please do this responsibly. 

“We are now entering lambing season and so many fields are full of livestock, which is why it is more important now than ever to keep your dogs under control. 

“We do see cases of family pets going back to their predator instincts and chasing livestock so please don’t take that chance and keep them under control.” 

The Naturewatch Foundation has worked alongside police forces and the RSPCA to run a public-focused pledge whereby the public are encouraged to pledge to a few simple prevention tips to protect their dogs and protect livestock. 

Any responsible dog owner wishing to sign the Operation Recall pledge can do so via the www.action.naturewatch.org /take-lead-and-sign-pledge-animals

For more information on Operation Recall, visit the information page:  www.naturewatch.org /campaigns/operation-recall

• Website – We have crime reporting tools on our website: www.derbyshire.police.uk

• Facebook – send us a private message to the Derbyshire Constabulary Facebook page

• Phone – call us on 101 

 You can also anonymously contact the independent charity CrimeStoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website: https://orlo.uk/kouUx

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