If you are a dog owner, thank you for supporting our #walkieswithoutworries campaign.

You can find out more by clicking here: https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/sites/default/files/2017-08/SOAC%20-%20Publication%202017%20-%20Dog%20Owners%20Leaflet.pdf

It is important that is you have an incident of dogs attacking or worrying livestock that you report it to the police as follows –
Call 999 if you witness a dog attacking livestock-it is an emergency and a crime.  If you find an attack has taken place but has ended, you should call 101 to report it to the police or you can report directly to Police Scotland at https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/contact-us-form/

Access with dogs, particularly where it involves livestock worrying and fouling, is a major issue for farmers in Scotland. In 2018, NFU Scotland surveyed farmers, crofters and landowners about the issues they have with irresponsible access, either through livestock worrying by dogs, or the impacts of owners failing to pick up after their pets on or near farmland. The survey had more than 340 responses, which showed that:

• 72 per cent of respondents had an issue with livestock worrying on their land
• 100 per cent of survey respondents said they have an issue with dog fouling on their land – this included plastic bag pollution as well as instances where livestock have contracted diseases from eating dog poo and plastic bags.
• 84 per cent of responses felt the outdoor access code requiring ‘on a lead or under close control’ didn’t provide sufficient protection to them or their livestock.
  

Helping Reduce Conflict Caused by Poorly Managed Dogs and Their Owners on Farmland

On 24 March 2021, Tom French, chair of the NFU Scotland Legal and Technical Committee, welcomed Stephen Jenkison The Kennel

Club’s Access and Countryside Advisor and 160 attendees which covered the following areas:

• reducing conflict arising from access takers with dogs and local dogs that escape or allowed to roam,
• cover principles of dog walker behaviour which informs how best to influence behaviour face-to-face, using signage and path management;
• opportunities and limitations of legal remedies;
• income generation from dog walking fields and commercial dog walkers.
  

A recording of the event is available below.

The slides with information and guidance presented at the webinar by Stephen Jenkinson, The Kennel Club’s Access and Countryside Advisor are available to view here