A farmer whose sheep were chased to their deaths by dogs has urged other pet owners to keep their animals under control.
Robbie Wilson, who has a flock of pedigree Texels at North Dorlaithers Farm near Turriff, has been battling ongoing problems in fields he rents in the area.
He lost two of his sheep after a pair of poodles managed to get into their field several years ago.
Aberdeenshire farmer says ‘lack of awareness’ to blame for rise in sheep worrying incidents
Now he has urged dog walkers to keep a close eye on their pets after his sheep were targeted again this week.
The flock was targeted by a canine predator in a field at the Turriff Show grounds on Tuesday afternoon.
A social media post detailed the incident with the “little black hairy dog”, apparently called Olly, seen while out with its owner chasing sheep.
It said the owners were not doing enough to prevent their pet harassing the flock at the `Queen Street show ground.
The post said: “Apparently the owners seemed to find it funny and weren’t doing anything to get the dog to stop.
“Please realise that this isn’t acceptable and farmers have every right to shoot a dog that is causing their sheep distress.”
Mr Wilson said there was a “minority” of people causing issues for him and his fellow farmers.
He said: “I’ve experienced quite a lot of minor issues relating to dogs over the years.
“My sheep regularly get chased, or I get phone calls from other farmers who are experiencing sheep worrying in their fields.
“It can be horrendous for some farmers. I know people who have lost thousands of pounds worth in incidents.
“There are signs across farmland in Aberdeenshire, warning people of the consequences of letting their dogs off the lead, but many people ignore them.
Farmers’ fury at ‘shameful’ rise in attacks on sheep in the north and north-east
“The majority of dog walkers are great, but it’s the minority who don’t pay attention that cause the problem.”
The incident comes just days after the Press and Journal revealed there had been an increase in the number of sheep worrying incidents across the north-east.
According to official police figures, there were 32 reported cases in the region with officers able to identify the perpetrators in just 19 of those.
The north-east leads the way with the number of livestock attacks with 28 in the Highlands and 19 in the Borders in 2018.
As well as the impact on the sheep, farmers are usually left to pick up the pieces financially.
In February, 11 lambs belonging to Fraserburgh farmer Ronald Anderson were attacked and killed by a dog, costing the farm £1,000.
