A major four-month campaign to crack down on sheep worrying has been launched ahead of the Scottish outdoor lambing season.
The appeal to dog owners to persuade them to act responsibly when exercising their animals and respect the countryside as a working place has come from Police Scotland and five rural organisations.
Police Scotland has pledged to enforce legislation and ensure all reported cases of sheep worrying are thoroughly investigated and offenders reported to the procurator fiscal.
Police Scotland’s rural crime coordinator, Inspector Jane Donaldson, said crime figures showed that livestock-worrying incidents rise over the spring months.
“The effects of a dog attacking sheep are evident and cannot be overstated, but significant damage can also be caused by a dog simply being present in a field,” she said.
She advised farmers and landowners to put signs up on gateways and on key roads and paths alerting them to the presence of sheep and lambs in their fields.
She added: “Dog owners need to remember that it is every dog’s instinct to chase and that simply chasing a sheep or a lamb in a field will cause it significant distress. Dog owners should also be aware that a farmer has the right to kill or injure any dog worrying their livestock. No one wants to see sheep or someone’s family pet being killed or injured, so please keep your dogs under control.”
Farmers and anyone using the countryside have been urged to report all incidents of livestock worrying to police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
Kathy Peebles, the vice-chair of the National Sheep Association, said farmers wanted dog owners to enjoy walks in the countryside but wanted them to remember that it was a workplace.
She said: “Dealing with the aftermath of a dog attack is a very stressful time and one that can be easily avoided by observing the Outdoor Access Code and by keeping dogs on a lead when you see sheep.”
