What to do if you have a dog attack

If your alpacas are victims of dog attacks:

1. Stop the attack by any reasonable means
2. Call the vet to treat any injuries. Keep information on veterinary treatments and costs.
3. Collect evidence – take pictures, “arrest” the dog if possible (it may have a tag or be chipped which can identify the owner).
4. Take contact details from the dog owner, if present, and witnesses if there are any.
5. Report the incident to the police using 999 if it happening and 101 if you discover an attack and the dog has gone.
6. Take indirect losses into account like loss of pregnancy.
7. Report the incident to BAS

Many of you will know that the issue of dogs worrying alpacas has been rather confusing because the legislation was designed for sheep rather than alpacas.  The Scottish Government recently changes it laws to put alpacas in the same bracket as sheep when it comes to dog worrying, The English Government is considering the same sort of changes, but it is still work in progress.

 
BAS has supplied data on frequency and severity of dog attacks to Government which has helped move things forward.  BAS still need to collate information relating to dog attacks on alpacas to maintain pressure on the Government. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in any dog worrying incidents, then please do send details to Duncan (ceo@bas-uk.com) so we can continue to have up to date information on these incidents. 

If you have footpaths on your land that are regularly used by dog walkers it cold be worthwhile talking to the owners to make your concerns real for them.  They may well be more supportive of good dog control if they have a personal connection with you and your alpacas. 

You can download and print the poster below to help you build awareness.