Dog owners get countryside warning
Ayrshire dog owners are being warned that their animal could be killed if it is found to be in the presence of sheep, even if it is not chasing them or has physically attacked them.
The warning comes at the start of a campaign launched on Monday by the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, in partnership with Police Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, NFUS, Scottish Land and Estates and the Kennel Club, to raise awareness amongst dog owners about the devastating effects of livestock worrying.
The campaign seeks to highlight to dog owners who live in or walk their dogs in the countryside that they must act responsibly and keep their dogs under close control. Results from a similar campaign last year showed that two- thirds of all reported crime involved a dog that was either local to the area or allowed to roam free, or had ‘ escaped’ from a house or garden.
PC Graeme Gordon, the wildlife crime liaison officer for Ayrshire, who is based in Maybole, said: “A dog attacking, chasing or even being at large in a field where sheep are kept can lead to significant injury and often leads to the sheep being killed or destroyed.
“Such attacks have a financial and emotional impact on the farmer and cause immense suffering to the animals and are avoidable if dog owners follow some simple steps.
“It’s important the farmers do report things to us. We need to know about these incidents so we can deal with them accordingly. I don’t think we heard about all the incidents that took place last year.
“I spoke at the Scottish Parliament last year about this issue, and most of the evening was spent talking about Ayrshire.”
Inspector Jane Donaldson, Police Scotland’s Rural Crime Co- ordinator, said: “The worrying of livestock can have devastating consequences for farm animals and has an obvious financial and emotional impact on farmers and their businesses. This campaign is being launched to coincide with the spring lambing period because this is when sheep are at greatest risk.
“The vast majority of livestock worrying incidents involve sheep and can occur when a dog attacks, chases or in the case of sheep, is at large - not on a lead or otherwise under close control - in a field where livestock is kept. The devastating effects of a dog attack are evident and cannot be overstated but significant damage can also be caused by a dog simply being present in a field.
“Pregnant ewes can abort their lambs or lambs can be separated from their mothers, causing distress and in some cases malnutrition.
“The advice to dog owners who live in rural areas or anyone walking and exercising their dogs in the countryside is to ensure that they are under control at all times and avoid going into fields where livestock is grazing. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code says that dogs shouldn’t be taken into fields where there are lambs or other young farm animals.
“We are encouraging farmers and landowners to engage with dog walkers and to put signs up on gateways and on key roads and paths alerting them to the presence of sheep and lambs in their fields,” added Inspector Donaldson.
Farmers and those who use the countryside are urged to report all incidents of livestock worrying to police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.