A north-east police officer has warned dog owners to keep their pets under control, due to a recent spate of sheep worrying incidents.
Hundreds of incidents have been investigated in the region in the last few years, with police on high alert as farmers approach lambing season.
Constable Gerry Ferris, of Police Scotland’s north east division, has issued a report through Neighbourhood Watch Scotland.
He wrote: “Unfortunately, recent weeks have seen instances of sheep worrying in the rural community being reported, despite previous alerts and campaigns.
“At this time of year, the public should keep their dogs under control in the countryside.
“Dog owners must never allow their dog to worry or attack farm animals. They must not take their dogs into fields where there are lambs, calves and other young farm animals.
“Your dog could, for example, cause a pregnant ewe to miscarry. It could also cause a new-born lamb to become separated from its mother before they’ve bonded, resulting in the mother rejecting the lamb once it’s returned.”
The report reminds dog walkers that under the Animals (Scotland) Act 1987, a farmer, in some cases, has the right to shoot a dog if it is worrying animals.
