Which Animals can catch Foot and Mouth Disease?

Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are susceptible and some wild animal such as hedgehogs, coypu, rats, deer and zoo animals including elephants.

What about my Dog?

Any dogs in an area infected with foot and mouth disease must be kept under control by their owners. This means that they must either:

• be kept in a kennel or enclosure from which they cannot escape
  or
• be effectively secured to a fixed object by a collar and chain
  or
• they must be accompanied by and under the effectual control of the owner or a responsible person authorised by the owner.

If you are in an area declared to be infected with foot and mouth disease you must not let your dog run free; if you do, it may be seized by the local authority or the police and treated as a stray.

In addition, an inspector may serve a notice on anyone in the infected area to keep a dog under specific controls.

Dogs which are kept under proper control are not prevented from being moved. Certain sporting activities involving dogs are not allowed in areas infected with foot and mouth disease.

If you feed your dog bones, please dispose of the bones carefully once your dog has finished with them so that wildlife cannot gain access to the bones.