SIR, I arrived back at my yard about 7.50pm and heard a dog barking in the distance.

I thought it was my neighbours collies in their garden so I paid no attention. 10 minutes later I heard barking again and I ran to my field to check on my four tups only to find a dog barking at them in the trees. As it was pitch dark and only having a pencil torch I called to the dog and he came to me.

It was a large German Shepherd and I was able to get hold of the harness he was worrying.

I took him up to the landowners house to call the police which would have been about 8.10pm and we took pictures of him and posted on Facebook on our local page.

A woman replied saying she knew the dogs owner and would get in touch with him.

Having called 101 at 8.15pm we were put in a queue and finally got to speak to an operator at 8.40pm. After explaining what had happened and that we needed the police to attend she then asked if we could keep the dog overnight.

As this was a ridiculous and unacceptable request we declined. Her next advice was that we were to just let the dog go.

I explained to her that if I did that the dog would immediately return to the field and continue to worry my sheep.

She then asked us to hold on the line as she had to go and think about this.

When she returned she told us to contact the dog warden and still no word of any police involvement. Her final comment was that she could do no more.

We were able to locate the owner of the dog through Facebook and he arrived at about 9pm and put his dog into his car. He left me his contact details as at the time I did not know if the tups were ok.

At first light I found them standing in the same place as the night before and sadly they had not moved an inch. As a farmer you know when your livestock are totally stressed and these poor tups were just that.

I had trouble coaxing them out and up to a shed and thankfully they were not physically harmed but very traumatised.

I have since contacted the owner of the dog to let him know they were not physically harmed but they will have to stay in the shed for at least a week and be fed twice a day. I have been in touch with the vet and I will have to get them checked to make sure their sperm count has not been affected as they are used for breeding.

Police Scotland on the other hand is a different matter.

Three years ago I lost two ewes and three lambs because of a rogue dog and if it had not been for Facebook we would not have found the dog and owner responsible.

On this occasion the police did come out but were of no use in tracking the dog down even when I had told them who the owner was.

They did eventually go to the address but eliminated the dog from their enquiries as that dog had gone missing on the Friday. They had written on their report that my sheep were attacked on the Thursday which was not the case. I then informed them that it was the Friday and they had got it wrong.

On this occasion the owner of the dog did pay compensation and there was no need for court involvement.

How many sheep have to be killed or traumatised before we as farmers are understood how this affects our lives?

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