CARNAGE in the countryside is expected from this weekend, with the “stay at home” message being relaxed to “stay local” in time for Easter. 

The Scottish Government will lift the lid on a cooped-up public and their new, untrained dogs, at a time where Scotland’s countryside is most vulnerable – slap bang in the middle of lambing and calving. You won’t know just how fearful farmers are about this until you see the results of a devastating dog attack on livestock …  it can be horrific.

With sunshine forecast across the country from Friday, the masses are gearing up for a great big green escape to the countryside. But there’s a major change this spring and that has been the explosion of new dogs over the last year which are about to be unleashed for the first time.

Glancing down at my family’s rough-coated Jack Russell terrier gnawing loudly on a Nylabone chew at my feet, I realise what a salvation our furry canine friends have been during this difficult time but am equally struck by the enormity of responsibility which comes with owning a dog and the training involved.

My hat goes off to new dog owners who have invested in online training classes over the last year, but in the coming weeks, for many, it will be the first time their dogs will be let off the lead in an open space – putting their recall training into practice. That open space is likely to be on farmland, and our fields are quickly filling up with new-born lambs as farmers and crofters embark on one of their busiest seasons of the year.   Right to roam is a wonderful thing, but with unfettered access to the countryside, comes the duty of responsible access. So, in short, keep your dog on a lead around livestock and be wary of ground nesting birds and other wildlife.

This might seem mind-numbingly obvious to most reading this column, but the fact is, there are more than  3.2 million households in the UK who have brought a new pet into their families since the start of this pandemic. This includes a lot of new dog owners who may not be aware of the devastating consequences their cute fluffy pet could have on new-born lambs.

I will never stop reminding people about the fact that any dog has the capacity to chase, maim and kill livestock, as every day I am confronted with painful stories and devastating images of farmers who have suffered the horrific consequences of an out-of-control dog savaging their sheep.

This past week, South of Scotland MSP Emma Harper received unanimous support for a Bill which sought to toughen the penalties on offer to the courts when convicting irresponsible dog owners involved in livestock attacks. Now, guilty individuals could serve up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to £40,000.  For years, farming organisations and the police have been running educational campaigns warning dog owners of the consequences loose dogs can have on livestock, but now this new Bill will add further weight and deterrence.

Since I started my job with the Scottish Farmer in 2017, I have supported Emma Harper with her proposals and have followed her journey as she met up with farmers across the country, listening to their concerns and promising to bring them justice, so I felt a huge rush of emotion on Wednesday night when this Bill was debated for the third and final time in Holyrood and will now proceed for royal assent before passing into law in six months’ time.

This is a huge moment for Scottish farming and offers much hope for the future that these incidents are being recognised and will be dealt with more fairly. The whole industry is indebted to Emma Harper and her team who have campaigned unreservedly on this over the past four years and these tough new penalties will hopefully send a strong reminder to dog owners of what is at stake, if their dog chases or kills livestock. Keeping your dog on a lead around livestock isn’t the only thing that should be a no-brainer, but so should picking up your dog poo. This isn’t just a responsibility reserved for walking on our beaches or our streets, but also in our fields.

Neosporosis is one of the hidden diseases which can be carried in dog faeces and poses a serious risk to livestock and other dogs. More dogs are being infected by the parasite neospora as a result of the growing trend for feeding dogs raw meat.  The parasite sheds eggs passing out in dogs’ poo and if left behind in a field, can remain infectious for up to six months. If consumed by cattle, in contaminated water, grass or in hay this disease can cause abortions and is responsible for more than 10 per cent of abortions in cattle.

I spoke to a local farmer from Ayrshire this weekend who told me that 10 acres of one of his silage fields was so saturated by dog poo that he was unable to use it to feed his cattle this winter. He had to accept that 100 bales – equating to around £2,500 – had to be discarded.  He told me that despite there being a woodland running alongside the field with a route for dog walkers, that the public preferred to walk through his field and were oblivious to what their dogs leave behind. He is rightfully worried, that from this Friday, the hordes are about to descend, and his field will be ruined once again, and his livestock put at risk.

We all should exercise our right to enjoy our beautiful countryside, but be mindful of whose workplace you are passing through, and afford it the same respect you would ask for in return.