Hopes over livestock law
New bill could be laid soon
Instances of livestock wo r r y i n g have seemingly increased over the last year, according to a leading trade union for the agriculture industry.
The National Farmers’ Union ( NFU Scotland) says that the coronavirus pandemic has lead to an increase in the number of people heading to the countryside, as well as a sharp rise in dog ownership during the last 12 months at a time when puppy and dog training classes have been unavailable.
NFU Scotland president Martin Kennedy, a farmer who lives in Highland Perthshire, said: “With Scotland’s fields full of heavily- pregnant cows and ewes and large numbers of newborn lambs and calves, greater access to the countryside, often accompanied by dogs, saw the union’s ‘#WalkiesWithoutWorries’ campaign launched in March to promote responsible access and try to prevent
horrendous incidents of livestock worrying.
“For members, signs promoting responsible access with dogs are available to download from the NFUS website or from the local office in Stirling.
“As someone who has witnessed several dog attacks on my sheep in the past, the pain and suffering of animals is dreadful to see.
“The cost to livestock owners is often high, both financially and emotionally, and such attacks are easily avoidable by dog owners acting responsibly.
“Unfortunately, the number of dog attacks on livestock remains unacceptably high.
“We have successfully worked with Emma Harper MSP to bring forward a new bill in the Scottish Parliament that will introduce far more severe penalties on those irresponsible dog owners who allow their animals to attack livestock.
“We expect that legislation to be laid later this year.
“Once brought into legislation, enforcement of the new bill is key.
“The stronger penalties must act as a better deterrent; and when paired with the investigative powers granted by the Bill, the number of prosecutions of those dog owners responsible for allowing livestock attacks to happen must increase.”