With livestock worrying continuing to blight Scottish farms and croff.s, NFU Scotland is pursuing legislative changes and seeking tougher sanctions.
Last month, NFUS wrote to the Scottish Government with five key asks designed to tackle ongoing livestock worrying. South Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper has recently announced she will bring forward a proposal for a Private Member’s Bill.
This spring saw repeated incidents where irresponsible dog owners allowed livestock to be killed or maimed. NFU Mutual recently revealed that the cost of claims related to livestock worrying has reached a record level of £1.6 million across the UK. The cost of dog attacks reported to NFU Mutual in Scotland has quadrupled in the past two years to more than £50,000.