A north-east sheep farmer has spoken of his delight at being reunited with his four Border Collie dogs that were stolen from his farm while he slept.
Roddy Scarborough woke last Wednesday to discover that his sheepdogs – one male and three females – were missing from his farm in the Cairnie area near Huntly.
Their disappearance prompted a massive police search across the region, and a heartbreaking appeal online to track down where the animals might be.
Mr Scarborough did not even want to release their names as he did not want whoever stole them to use that to bond with his dogs.
On Friday night, three of the Border Collies were found, however the oldest female of the pack remained missing.
Mr Scarborough was overjoyed the next day though when police called to tell him the final dog had been located around 25 miles from his home.
He said: “I got the call at 2pm on Saturday to tell me that the last dog had been found near Alford.
“It’s tremendous to have them all home.
“The way the news was spread was unbelievable – I did not think the response would be as strong as it was.”
Mr Scarborough uses the dogs to control his 2,000 sheep and was facing a daunting task of managing the farm without them.
But even more so, the 56-year-old said they were much-loved pets who everyone was missing.
He added: “It will be much easier for me on the farm now, I can’t put into words what it’s like to have them all reunited.”
The sheep farmer believes the thieves had planned their strike, as they went straight for the dogs – ignoring a nearby van with the key in its ignition.
PC Shiree Miller of Huntly community policing team said: “Officers from the Marr Community Policing Team carried out extensive house-to-house inquiries on Saturday morning and I am delighted that the last remaining of the Border Collie’s has now been traced and is back with its owners.
“Extensive inquires will continue to find out who is involved in this distressing theft.
“I would once again reiterate our thanks to the members of the public in the area who assisted in the safe finding of the fourth dog, which is the most experienced working dog of the four.”