COUNTRYFILE's Adam Henson has issued a firm warning to dog owners to "take responsibility" for their pets' behavior.

The BBC One factual presenter told dog owners to look after their pets and stop their dogs from attacking livestock in a post on the Countryfile magazine website.

Adam Henson is a well-known farmer in the UK, presenting his own section on BBC’s Countryfile to millions of viewers each Sunday evening.

But farming and conservation are Adam’s first passions and when the camera stops rolling there is still plenty of work to be done.

After witnessing "heart-breaking" attacks on live stock from dogs, and the new "pandemic puppies" come of age, Adam urged dog owners to control and manage their pets' behaviour to prevent any harm to live stock.

The English farmer said: "With all the joy of being a dog owner comes responsibility, and while the majority of people are sensible with their pets, it breaks my heart every time I hear about livestock being attacked by dogs."

Adding: " It’s happened far too often on our own farm, when dogs have been let off their leads to run around, only to go after the sheep – with horrific consequences. Take it from me, you don’t want to see what’s left of a ewe after it has been mauled by a set of sharp teeth and claws."

"It’s rarely the dog’s fault and more to do with owners having no control of their pets or believing that their animal is ‘only playing’ with the sheep," the Countryfile presenter said.

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Adam warned pet owners that a farmer has a legal excuse to shoot a dog if their sheep need to be protected from an attack.

The farmer said "no farmer wants to do that and shooting would only ever be a last resort."

He continued: " On one occasion, a dog that attacked our flock had to be put down; it was a sad outcome for all concerned, but if a dog harms or kills once, there’s a high risk that it will do it again."

It's estimated that more than 15,000 farm animals are maimed and killed every year. That doesn't include the many attacks each year that go unreported.

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The cost of farming livelihoods is rising. The latest figures from the insurers NFU Mutual reveal that claims involving dog attacks on livestock rose to more than £1.5 million last year.

The Countryfile presenter continued to explain: "There’s a new generation of dog owners whose pandemic puppies are coming of age, and they simply don’t know how their dog is going to behave around livestock.”

Adam gave strict advice to pet owners telling them to "keep your dog under effective control to make sure it stays away from wildlife, livestock, horses and other people unless invited to approach."

He also told the owners to keep their dog on a lead or in sight and to make sure they were confident that their dog will return on command.

"Make sure your dog does not stray from the path or area where you have right of access," The Countryfile host advised.

Back in March, reports of livestock being attacked by dogs were at an all-time high, as around 15,000 sheep were killed by dogs in 2016, according to the All Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare (APGAW).

Sheepwatch UK says most attacks take place between January and March during peak lambing season. Figures from the National Sheep Association (NSA) show that on average, four sheep are killed per dog attack, though some farmers lose 30-40 sheep in single incidents.

Countryfile airs Sundays on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.

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