Amber Valley Ramblers Derbyshire

From March 2026, tougher penalties and new police powers are in force to protect farm animals and support rural communities.

It will now be an offence if a dog:

• Attacks livestock
• Chases, stalks or frightens livestock
• Causes stress, injury, death, miscarriage or loss of produce
• A dog does NOT need to touch an animal for an offence to occur.

The law covers a wide range of livestock, including:

• Sheep
• Cattle (cows, bulls, calves)
• Goats
• Pigs
• Horses
• Poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese)
• Alpacas and llamas

These protections apply on farmland and on public footpaths or roads where livestock are present.

Under the updated law, police can now:

• Seize dogs involved in livestock worrying
• Enter premises with a warrant
• Take DNA and other evidence
• Recover costs from offenders
• Courts can issue unlimited fines.

As a dog owner, you need to:

• Keep dogs under close control near livestock
• Use a lead in fields with animals
• Public rights of way are included
• Remember, it's your dog. Your responsibility

Amber Valley Routeways  are a series of waymarked walks, mainly devised by AVRA and waymarked in conjunction with the Groundwork Trust (now Five Counties Groundwork Trust), and AVBC. There is a series of printable leaflets describing each walk on this website (Local Walks see above) leading to them, which shows a remarkable 13079 hits by those seeking a local waymarked walk.

For some years I have been checking the leaflets for accuracy (field boundaries disappear, pubs close, housing estates appear etc}, and replacing waymarks as necessary. I am falling behind with my schedule, so if the is anybody out there willing to lend a hand, please contact me on 01773827611.

If you can help call Dick Hall

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