A farmer in Dundee has described incidents of sheep worrying as “traumatic”.
In the final three years, Alistair Hodnett’s flock have been attacked on three separate events – in March and April final yr and in January this yr.
He informed STV News it’s been “traumatic” for him and his household.
Mr Hodnett mentioned: “They’re not pets, they don’t have names however we’re very a lot connected to them.
“I’ve been out in every kind of climate situations over the years and introduced them into the world, after which to walk within the discipline and to search out them ripped to shreds by somebody’s canine, it’s fairly traumatic.
“Then you have the after-effects of treating them for days on end…the one last April we had to put to sleep and her lamb was orphaned.”
The final 12 months have been the worst yr of canine assaults since Mr Hodnett moved to the farm greater than 30 years in the past.
Police Scotland have additionally seen a rise within the variety of circumstances being reported.
There have been 350 incidents reported to officers between 2022 and 2023.
Inspector Jordan Low says investigating livestock worrying is a precedence for the pressure, however it comes with challenges.
He mentioned: “We depend on reporting from the farming and rural neighborhood and we depend on self reporting if a canine proprietor has had one in all their dogs be concerned in a sheep worrying or livestock worrying attack then they should report it to the police.
“Investigation wise there is a number of tools we have at our disposal, photography and we can also utilising DNA to try and track dogs as well.”
In November 2021, new laws was launched rising fines for livestock worrying to £40,000 and a 12 month jail sentence.
Rhianna Montgomery from the National Farmers Union says the brand new guidelines must be used totally to make an actual distinction: “From our viewpoint it’s not getting used to its full extent.
“We’re yet to see a case go all the way through and have the highest fines and the 12 months imprisonment. We would like to see this being used more in practice and also for the farmers to be compensated correctly.”
Alistair continues to be counting the cost of final yr’s assaults. He mentioned: “Those two sheep, the one we misplaced in April and the one we’ll doubtlessly lose this week I reckon its cost me £2,000 between vets payments, my time, lack of the sheep and lack of the lambs they need to have had.
“Plus we had to rear up an orphaned lamb last year by hand which is very expensive.”
As Scotland’s farmers put together for the busy lambing season, their message is for folks to benefit from the nation, however hold your canine beneath management.
STV News is now on WhatsApp
Get all of the latest information from across the nation
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code in your cell system for all of the latest information from across the nation
