Dog owner charged with livestock worrying after spat with farmer

The penalty ticket issued by the police to Mr Sloan (Photo: Jonathan Sloan)
The penalty ticket issued by the police to Mr Sloan (Photo: Jonathan Sloan)

A dog owner has been charged with livestock worrying following a spat with a farmer who got fined by the police.

The incident went viral on social media after 28-year-old farmer Jonathan Sloan uploaded his penalty ticket on Twitter, criticising the police for not arresting the dog owner at the time of the incident.

Mr Sloan, who farms in Springbank Farm near Kinross, was hit with a £40 fine for trying to rescue his flock of sheep from the out-of-control dog.

Mr Sloan eventually put the situation under control by hitting the dog with his shepherd's crook to help it move away. The dog was eventually contained.

The farmer then called the police after a heated argument with the dog owner, who became aggressive. But after speaking with police officers, Mr Sloan ended up with a £40 fine for "breach of peace".

However, in a statement, Police Scotland said the dog owner has now been charged with an offence under section 1 of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

The incident follows news of a month-long campaign launched by Police Scotland to raise awareness among dog owners about the devastating effects of livestock worrying.

The Procurator Fiscal will now look at the case for consideration.