Midlothian crime news: Two sheep injured after dog attack in Rosewell field

Around 11.10am on Tuesday, a dog entered a field near Rosewell and attacked and injured two sheep, before being disturbed and running off.

It left the field, which is on the B7003 Roslin Glen Road, and ran off towards Roslin Glen woods.

The dog has been described as a grey/white, Husky/Alsatian type dog wearing a collar.

Anyone with information should contact the Police quoting reference 1035, 19th April.

The National Farmers Union Mutual have been warning dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead while in the countryside in order to help protect livestock.

Rebecca Davidson, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual, explained: “With Easter falling late this year, most lambs on Scotland’s farms have been born and are highly vulnerable to dog attacks – so we’re asking owners to keep their pets on the lead whenever livestock could be nearby.

“With many people planning a trip to the countryside with dogs which aren’t used to being around sheep, we’re worried there could be a surge in attacks.

"While harmless at home, gentle family pets can quickly turn to their natural instincts out in the fields, leaving a trail of horrific injuries to sheep and new-born lambs.

“Owners need to be aware that it’s not just large dogs that attack sheep - even small dogs can cause deaths by chasing sheep round fields until they die from stress, or separate new-born lambs from their mothers.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.