Livestock worrying law is changing in 2026 – and it affects more walks than you think. Here’s what dog owners need to know.

If you walk your dog anywhere near fields, farmland, bridleways or rural footpaths, there’s a legal change coming that’s genuinely worth understanding.

Not in a dramatic, “Dogs aren’t allowed in the countryside anymore” way. But in a way that tightens definitions, raises penalties and removes a lot of grey areas that dog owners often rely on without realising it.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 will come into force in England and Wales on 18th March 2026. It updates the original 1953 law rather than replacing it.

Attacking livestock and worrying livestock are now treated as two distinct things.

Under the original law, both attacking and worrying livestock were covered, but they sat together under the same wording. The amended law separates them out clearly.

In simple terms:

• Attacking livestock refers to violent incidents.
• Worrying livestock covers a wider range of behaviour that can still cause real harm.

This doesn’t create a new offence. It just makes the difference explicit.

What counts as livestock worrying?

Livestock worrying can include situations where a dog:

• Chases livestock
• Is at large or not under close control where livestock are present
• Causes fear, panic or distress that leads to harm, even if there is no physical contact

The key point is that harm doesn’t require contact. Stress alone can cause injury, abortion, production losses or death in livestock. This is why, “My dog didn’t touch them” isn’t a meaningful defence in many situations.

Roads and paths are now clearly in scope

One of the biggest practical changes is that livestock worrying is no longer framed as something that only happens ‘in fields’. The updated law explicitly includes incidents that happen on roads and paths.

This reflects real life. Livestock are moved between locations – not every encounter happens behind a fence. For dog owners, this means you don’t need to be in a field for the law to apply – you can be on a public path or road and still be in a livestock-risk environment.

Horses matter more than many dog owners realise

Horses are legally classed as livestock and they’re often encountered outside fields. Unlike sheep or cattle, horses are commonly ridden or led on roads, encountered on bridleways and shared paths and quite often met suddenly, with little distance or warning. This is why the change of scope in terms of location is important.

We all know, a dog does not need to bite or touch a horse for serious consequences to follow. Sudden movement, barking, rushing or chasing can cause a horse to spook, bolt, fall, or injure itself, a rider, or a handler. And this can all be more likely to happen if you’re coming across a horse unexpectedly.

Camelids are now included as livestock

The definition of livestock has been expanded to include camelids, such as alpacas and llamas.

Penalties are higher

The previous £1,000 maximum fine is replaced with an unlimited fine. That change alone signals how seriously incidents are expected to be treated.

Police and courts have stronger powers

The amended law gives police clearer and stronger tools to investigate suspected offences. These include powers to:

• Seize and detain dogs in certain circumstances
• Take samples or impressions where they may provide evidence
• Enter and search premises under warrant to identify dogs or seize evidence

Courts can also order someone convicted of an offence to pay reasonable costs linked to the seizure and detention of a dog.

Owner responsibility and a common misconception

The law introduces a clearer defence for owners in specific situations, such as where a dog was in someone else’s charge without the owner’s consent (for example, if the dog was stolen).

It also preserves a defence where the owner reasonably believed the person in charge was fit and proper.