Dog owners visiting a Perthshire beauty spot are being warned to remain vigilant after several received suspicious approaches about their pets.
One owner said she was approached by a man and a woman who repeatedly claimed that the dog belonged to the couple.
The pair are also alleged to have repeatedly tried to take photos of the dog despite the owner’s refusal.
Offers to buy pets
Several other owners have taken to social media reporting suspicious advances by strangers repeatedly offering to buy their pets.
The incidents are all understood to have occurred on paths close to Loch Leven in Kinross between Saturday, September 4 and Tuesday, September 7.
The beauty spot is a popular destination for owners to exercise their pets.
One owner, who asked not to be named, said the experience had made her “very uncomfortable”.
She said: “I was there on my own walking my dog as I do regularly at Loch Leven when I was suddenly approached by a man and woman.
Suspicious approach
“They started by asking if the dog was mine and kept repeating the question but getting more forceful each time.
“One of them also tried to repeatedly take photos of my dog with a mobile phone even though I was trying to stop them and telling them not to.
“They didn’t touch the dog or me and eventually they went away.
“I was left feeling very uncomfortable by the encounter.
“It was certainly suspicious and out of the ordinary.
“When out walking it’s common place to meet passers-by who ask about the dog or make a friendly comment.
“However this was a whole different approach and much more suspicious.”
The latest concerns follows increased instances of dog napping across Courier Country.
Warning for dog owners
The Missing Pets Perth and Kinross group also posted a warning online after being alerted to similar incidents by several owners.
It read: “We have been alerted to a few incidents in the past couple of days in the Kinross/Loch Leven area of Perth and Kinross which are a bit suspicious where dog owners are being approached while on their own walking their dog by strangers and made to feel very uncomfortable.
“They have been asked questions which they feel are quite intrusive about their dog and having to say no repeatedly to their dog’s picture being taken as the people approaching them kept insisting it was their dog.
“They may not realise how uncomfortable these questions could be to a dog owner but if you are worried, we would recommend not walking your dog alone.
“Walk with a friend and other dog owners and especially don’t walk alone in locations [in] which you are away from lots of other people
“If you experience anything like this always report to the police on 101.”
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said they were yet to receive any reports of incidents matching the description in the Kinross area.