Officers in Aberdeenshire are reminding dog owners and people walking dogs in the countryside to keep their animals under control after a 27-year-old female has been charged in connection with an alleged incident of sheep worrying.
The pleas come after police received a report at 9am yesterday morning (Wednesday 5 July 2017) of an incident which resulted in injury to two lambs in the Glass area, near Huntly.
Despite concerted efforts to catch the dog, regrettably, a local gamekeeper was forced to shoot dead the dog involved.
PC John Riddell, from the local Community Policing Team, said
Farmers are within their rights to shoot dogs worrying sheep on their land as a last resort to prevent further injury. To lose sheep has a significant impact on farmers and their livelihoods, but to lose a much loved family pet causes significant distress to dog owners as well.
All it can take to avoid distress is to keep dogs on leads or under control, and for dog owners to take the necessary steps to ensure animals cannot run loose. My advice to anyone walking and exercising their dogs in the countryside is to ensure they are constantly under control and to avoid going into fields where livestock are grazing.
It is your responsibility to know where your animal is and what they are doing. At worst, you could end up losing your pet and appearing in court. Anyone with concerns about livestock worrying can contact Police on 101.
Photo © Keith Evans (cc-by-sa/2.0)
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