Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Roz McCall has today challenged the Scottish Government to do more to stop incidents of livestock worrying in Fife.
Her comments followed a recent incident at a farm in Kelty which resulted in the death of 20 lambs.
The financial loss by the farmer totalled £7,000, and the horrific scenes left the family in a state of shock and distress.
Ms McCall, who used a parliamentary question to raise the issue, stated that farmers already have to deal with the stresses that both lambing and calving bring, and said that these attacks make the situation much worse.
She also raised a recent survey conducted by NFU Mutual which found that only 32 per cent of dog owners understood that they could be imprisoned for allowing their pets to attack farm animals.
Roz McCall MSP, (Mid-Scotland and Fife) said:
“Lambing season is upon us, and farmers across Mid-Scotland and Fife are working tirelessly to ensure we have food on our plates.
“The stresses of long hours, uncertainty, and chaos can not be understood by many people. However, the stresses can be overwhelming after an attack on your livestock.
“My sympathies are with the farmers across my region and Scotland who have had to go through the horrific ordeal of losing livestock to an attack.
“It is important we all take personal responsibility for our pets and to keep them on a lead if we are in a field with livestock. The beautiful countryside is there to be enjoyed by everyone but dog-owners must be responsible.
“It is not just the gruesome images of a dog biting lambs or calves which cause the death of livestock, but causing ewes to go into a state of distress that can cause miscarriages.
“The Scottish Government must do more to raise awareness, and support farmers who rely on their livestock for their income.”
