A regional publisher’s farming magazine has launched a campaign aimed at stopping the worrying of livestock by dogs.

The Scottish Farmer, which is published by the Newsquest-owned Herald and Times Group, has joined forces with the National Farmers’ Union Scotland to urge pet owners to keep their dogs under control as farmers gear up for one of their busiest times of the year – calving and lambing.

Scottish Farmer says the campaign follows a “spate of serious worrying of livestock” by domestic dogs, with the issue becoming so severe in some rural areas that calls are now being made to change the law in relation to dealing with owners whose dogs cause injury or kill farmed livestock.

A study by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare found an estimated 15,000 sheep were killed by dogs in one year, putting the cost to the farming sector at least £1.6m.

Scottish Farmer editor Ken Fletcher said: “The last thing a farmer wants to do is to exercise his right to shoot dogs that are worrying his livestock and so that is why we are urging responsible dog owners to stand up and be counted.

“Let us be clear, there is no such things as a bad dog, only irresponsible owners.”

John Fyall, chairman of the National Sheep Association Scotland, added: “Although the financial impact of worrying can be critical to farmers, it is not the first thought.

“When you have to deal with a field of traumatised and injured stock, you feel sick to the bottom of your guts. It is horrific.

“But it feels just as bad picking up a dead dog because an owner lost control. Some dogs are let run and unsupervised, but others are normally well-behaved dogs.

“Some breeds are more prone, but any dogs are capable, especially when more than one.”