A fresh call has been made for dog owners to act responsibly.
The plea comes as the cost of sheep worrying and livestock attacks in the North East rose sharply last year.
NFU Mutual, a leading rural insurer, has released new figures showing £124,000 worth of farm animals were seriously injured or killed by dogs in the North East in 2025 - a 37 per cent increase on the previous year.
The rise follows a national trend, with livestock worrying across the UK costing an estimated £1.95m in 2025, up 10 per cent on the previous year.
Hannah Binns, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, said: "As the lambing season gets underway, a time when pregnant ewes and newborn lambs are vulnerable, it is deeply concerning to see the estimated cost of livestock worrying rise to nearly £2 million in 2025.
"As a sheep farmer’s daughter, I know first-hand the hard work, long hours and emotional investment that goes into the lambing season.
"For farmers and their families, witnessing these horrific incidents or finding injured or dead livestock after an attack can be utterly heartbreaking."
Despite the ongoing problem, an NFU Mutual survey of 1,407 dog owners revealed that 57 per cent still let their dogs off the lead in the countryside.
One in 20 admitted their pet had chased livestock.
Nearly two-thirds said they did not believe their dogs were capable of harming or killing animals.
A dog attack in the Yorkshire Dales left 17 lambs dead and dozens injured and stressed.
Yorkshire farmer Will Shuttleworth said: "I’ve never seen anything like it.
"I just couldn’t believe it as I kept finding more and more dead and injured lambs.
"It was obvious they had been attacked by a dog.
"There was wool pulled from fleeces blowing all over the field and the injuries to the lambs’ faces and back legs were clearly dog bites.
"Some of the dead lambs didn’t have injuries and had died as a result of stress from being chased round and round the field."
Following industry campaigning, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act was passed earlier this year.
The law gives police greater powers to deal with dog attacks on farm animals in England and Wales.
Ms Binns urged the public to do their part to prevent further harm.
She said: "It is crucial dog owners act responsibly by keeping their pets on leads wherever livestock may be nearby to prevent these needless attacks."
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