'I am fed up of finding dead lambs in my field'

A farmer has urged dog owners to take care around livestock after experiencing a spate of "awful" attacks.

George Edmonds, who runs a farm with his brother William in Yalding, Kent, said 12 of their lambs drowned in the summer after a dog chased the flock into water.

He said the pair had to strip down to their underwear and pull the lambs out by hand, while Kent Fire and Rescue Service sent crews to help.

"It's an awful thing to do," Edmonds told BBC Radio Kent. "We were dragging out dead livestock that we had essentially raised.

"Financially as well - it is a massive burden."

Edmonds said dog attacks on their livestock had become so common that they were now factoring them into their financial forecasts.

"We're now expecting two or three a year now," he said, calling it a "sad reality".

"I'm fed up with it, to be honest," he said.

"We do everything right and the sheep are looking the best they have ever looked but this just keeps happening."

Edmonds added that in January a dog chased a flock of pregnant ewes, which caused eight to die and three others to abort their lambs.

Each pregnant ewe is worth between £200 and £300, he estimated.

Rural insurer NFU Mutual has also called for dog walkers to be more responsible ahead of the lambing season.

It estimated £330,000 worth of farm animals were killed or severely injured by dog attacks in 2025.

That is an increase of just under 140% on 2024's estimated figures, it said.

Edmonds said people were welcome in the countryside with their pets, but alerted them to the risks.

"Your dog might be the friendliest dog in the world," he said.

"But, ultimately, if it sees a group of sheep... that primal instinct kicks in and off it goes."

He urged people to read and adhere to the Countryside Code, which provides guidelines for enjoying the outdoors.

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