Farmers have issued a plea for dog walkers to act responsibly after a sheep was attacked at a Stirling farm.
The incident, which took place at Newpark Farm in St Ninians, left a sheep with severe bites on its back leg and stomach.
Another sheep had a chunk of wool pulled out.
Calum Christie, a third generation farmer at Newpark, and Duncan McNicol, a Dunblane farmer who rents the land from Calum, say sheep worrying is an “ongoing” issue.
The pair have been left frustrated as the dog walker did not report the incident, which was discovered on Saturday afternoon.
The sheep – which if sold would fetch around £100 – is expected to recover.
However, Duncan says he is “dreading” the bill as it will likely be double the value of the sheep.
Sheep worrying happening across Stirlingshire
Last summer, one of Duncan’s lambs died after being attacked.
Calum, 53, says both sheep and horses on his land have been chased frequently.
He said: “It seems to be rife just now. Our neighbours, they had quite a serious attack on quite a few sheep just over a week ago.”
Both Calum and Duncan believe the laws around sheep worrying need to be clearer.
Calum fears he will have to resort to shooting a dog if the worrying continues, which is permitted by law.
“The last thing I want to do is pull a gun out of a cabinet and shoot a dog,” he told The Courier.
“It’s not the dog’s fault, it’s the owner’s fault.
“There are so many things that can come back to bite you if you shoot somebody’s dog, even if their dog is 100% in the wrong.
“They can come back, they can burn your sheds down. They can make your life hell.”
Duncan, 63, says he’s been telling people for around 50 years to keep dogs on a lead.
While he stresses it is not all dog walkers who cause problems, it is a constant issue.
“It seems to get worse,” he said.
“There’s more houses in and about Dunblane, on the outskirts near where the sheep are, and there’s more people out and about with dogs.”
Issues with dog fouling
Newpark Farm is primarily used for making hay and also has a horse livery yard.
During the winter months, hundreds of sheep graze his lands on a rented basis.
Calum says dog walkers are breaking the fence and he then has to cover the cost of repairs.
The 53-year-old claims Stirling Council is also responsible for the fence, however the local authority does not agree.
He said: “If they [dog walkers] don’t go through the footpath gates, they just pull the fences apart to get their dogs under it and get themselves over it.
“It is an ongoing battle.”
While he lets locals use his fields when empty, he revealed more issues with dogs fouling on his hay fields.
Signs asking walkers to not enter the fields, close the gates and keep dogs on a lead have also been torn down in the past at Newpark Farm.
Calum said: “It is concerning that this does seem to go on and we don’t seem to get any immediate support from the police or local council.”
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: “The responsibility of maintenance for the fence does not lie with the council according to the terms listed in the adjacent land title.
“Instances of livestock worrying should be reported to Police Scotland in the first instance, however our regulatory service take the issue incredibly seriously and strongly urge dog owners to take responsibility for their animals when walking in the countryside.”
Police enquiries ongoing
Police Scotland confirmed they were looking into the incident.
A spokesperson said: “Officers received a report of sheep being injured at Newpark Farm, Stirling, around 1.10pm on Saturday, 11 January, 2025.
“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.”
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