A Perthshire man has been fined £400 after trying to sell four-and-a-half-week old female border collie pups which had been stolen.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that following a Facebook campaign to recover the puppies who at that time could not walk police then received information that Allan Beattie, 25, of Craighall Place, Blairgowrie, was offering the puppies for sale.
The two young black and white dogs had been stolen from Glenalbert Farm, Dalguise, Dunkeld, along with a brown and white collie pup.
Beattie admitted that on April 14, at his home address, he reset two collie puppies who had been stolen.
Depute fiscal Chris Macintosh said: “The accused was aware police wanted to speak to him about the puppies so he attended at Blairgowrie Police Station and said he wished the dogs to be returned to their owner.
“The dogs were at the stage where they couldn’t walk or escape themselves.”
The court heard when police asked Beattie how he had the dogs in his possession, he claimed he had bought them for £100 from “people in a white van.”
Mr Macintosh said the dogs were worth £150 each.
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said his client “very much” regretted the incident. “It was a bad judgment,” he told the court.
The owner of the dogs, Jamie Donaldson, said at the time her family were both “relieved” and “delighted” to have the animals back home.