A 73-year-old man has been charged following a livestock worrying incident in north east Scotland.
The incident happened between 21 March and 12 April 2023, resulting in the death of four lambs.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the man is expected to appear in court at a later date.
Under Scottish legislation, owners of dogs attacking and worrying livestock can now be imprisoned and fined up to £40,000.
The dog does not have to physically attack the sheep to cause them extreme stress or death.
Police Constable Hannah Corbett, of Police Scotland, urged the public to keep dogs under control when out in the countryside.
"Farmers are legally entitled to protect their livestock, which can result in the destruction of a dog by being shot," she said.
"Whilst no farmer wants to resort to this option, it is legal, though it could be easily avoided if owners ensure that their dogs are controlled around livestock.
“When you are walking dogs near livestock, please ensure that your dog is kept under control, restrained on a lead, even if you can usually trust it to recall.”
Last month, a member of the public was ordered to pay £300 compensation to a farmer following a dog attack which killed one sheep.
The incident happened on the Isle of Wight on 14 March, when a dog off a lead chased sheep which were grazing in a field, before it bit and killed one.
It follows alarming findings from a survey by the National Sheep Association (NSA) that shows sheep farmers are experiencing an increasing occurrence of dog attacks.
In the survey of more than 300 sheep farmers, 70% had experienced a sheep worrying attack in the past 12 months.
On average, three sheep deaths were reported each year per farmer as a result of dog attacks.
