A Lanarkshire vet has issued a stark warning to dog owners after lambs were brutally killed on a Scots farm.
Staff at Clyde Vet Group Equine Hospital in Lanark shared horrific images of the injured livestock on their Facebook yesterday, urging owners to keep their pets on leads around farm animals.
The vet said judging by the lambs injuries, it appeared a medium-sized dog had caught the animals by the neck and ran around the field with them, before shaking them rigorously and breaking their necks.
Several lambs were killed instantly in the attack, two were left paralysed and another two have painful flesh wounds which may eventually kill them.
The post read: "It's this time of year again. Please walk your dog on a lead around livestock.
"You might think your dog would never hurt a lamb, but unfortunately dogs can and do attack sheep.
"In this case, a small to medium sized dog (judging by the tooth holes) has run around a field catching lambs by the neck and shaking them, breaking their necks.
"Several were killed outright, two were paralysed but not killed and two have painful flesh wounds which they may not yet survive.
"Please put your dog on a lead around livestock."
The vet went on to warn owners to be extra vigilant as farmers have the right to shoot dogs if they attack their stock.
The post continued: "Remember a farmer has every right to shoot your dog if it attacks their stock.
"If your dog gets away from you and injures livestock, report it - use the police, SSPCA or Facebook community groups to try to alert people so that animals do not have to lie in pain and the farmer doesn't get a heart-breaking shock when he inspects his flock.
"Spring should be a lovely time of year watching the wee lambs running about as the fields turn green and fill with the excellent sheep and cattle Scotland produces.
"To see this torn apart is so difficult for us all."
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