Two women have been charged following two separate alleged incidents of sheep-worrying in Scotland.
A 47-year-old woman has been charged and will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal following an incident in Netherley, Aberdeenshire at around 11am, which involved a Husky type dog.
The incident resulted in the death of five sheep as well as injuries to several other sheep.
A 24-year-old woman has also been charged and will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal following a second separate sheep-worrying incident at around 12pm in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.
Police Scotland have stated that no sheep were killed as a result of this incident, however, they were chased and distressed by a Gordon Setter type dog.
PC Liam Mercer said: "Sheep-worrying type incidents obviously have a financial impact on the farmers as well as causing distress to the other animals.
"Farmers are legally entitled to protect their livestock which can result in the destruction of a dog by shooting it.
"While no farmer wishes to resort to this option it is an option available and one that could quite easily be avoided if owners ensure that they have proper control of their dogs."
'Guilty of an offence'
In December last year, a woman was charged following a sheep worrying incident in Aberdeenshire, further highlighting the legal trouble dog walkers can face when livestock are attacked.
The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 says that if a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the owner and/or the person in charge of the dogs is guilty of a criminal offence.
“If a dog worries livestock on any agricultural land, the owner of the dog, and if it is in the charge of a person other than its owner, that person also, shall be guilty of an offence.”
Five police forces - North Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall, Sussex, North Wales and Hertfordshire - have been taking part in an initiative to look at the true extent of livestock worrying in the countryside.
The forces analysed data on their systems from September 2013 to 2017 and found that there were 1705 recorded incidents of livestock worrying and attacks in the five force areas.
Anyone with concerns or information regarding a sheep worrying incident should contact police on 101.
