A man has been banned from keeping dogs after his Husky named Bello killed sheep and lambs worth £5,000 on an Aberdeenshire farm.
Aaron Burr, known as Morrison, lost control of his dog on two separate occasions when it attacked and killed sheep at Redhouse Farm in Oldmeldrum.
The devastating attacks left sheep with horrifying injuries and the farmer with a significant financial loss.
In total, 10 sheep were killed and 25 lambs were aborted or still-born.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At 3.30pm on April 17 2022, a neighbour of the farm was within his garden and noted a Husky-type dog dragging a sheep by what appeared to be its hind legs”.
Sheep had ‘extensive damage’ and bite marks around its neck
The man shouted at the dog but, as he approached, it dropped the sheep and began chasing another one in the field.
Eventually, it ran towards the field’s exit, where Morrison managed to catch it.
He explained to the neighbour that his dog, called Bello, had slipped its lead and provided his details.
The neighbour then contacted farm staff who noticed the injured sheep had a “large amount of blood” around it, and the others appeared “distressed”.
A vet attended the following day and found the sheep had “extensive damage” and bite marks around its neck.
The vet provided surgical assistance but believed the animal would be infertile.
Sheep had aborted lambs
On April 21 2022, an employee at the farm received a call from the neighbour warning that there were sheep loose on a nearby road.
The worker attended to herd the animals back into their field.
Another employee then noticed a post on social media about Bello the Husky being missing.
On checking the field, the staff member found wool on the barbed wire fence and a number of dead and injured sheep.
A number of sheep had aborted lambs due to the stress and had their vaginas “mutilated”.
One dead sheep did not have any obvious injuries and it was concluded that it died of a heart attack due to stress.
Other dead sheep had puncture wounds to their necks and their “vaginas mutilated”.
Farm suffered losses of £5,000
Ms Stewart told the court she had spoken to the farmer who said he’d had to purchase a new tup (male sheep) at a cost of £1,000.
He also said five female sheep died at a total cost, including their unborn lambs, of £300 each.
A further five ewes were also lost, each worth £100.
A total of 25 lambs were aborted or still-born, at a financial loss to the farmer of £40 per lamb.
And vet bills were also estimated to have cost around £1,000.
Morrison, of Provost Florence Drive, Oldmeldrum, pled guilty to being in charge of a dog that worried livestock.
No mention of dog destruction order
Defence agent Iain McGregor said his client had given Bello away shortly after the incidents.
He said the sheriff at a previous hearing of the case had already indicated that the matter would be dealt with by a fine.
He added his client, who was not present due to work commitments, did not plan to keep dogs again in the future.
Sheriff Margaret Hodge fined Morrison £340 and imposed a “token” compensation order of £750.
She also banned him from owning or keeping dogs for three years.
But the sheriff made no mention of a destruction order for the dog.
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