Sheep Savaged at Sanna

Sanna is a lovely place, visited by thousands each year for its peace and beauty. But those of us who walk there sometimes forget that its land provides a livelihood for the township's crofters, and the sheep which roam freely across its machair, muir and foreshore are an important source of income.

Yesterday morning a dog was reported to have savaged a sheep. At that stage it was still alive. After an extensive search which continued into the evening the sheep could not be found. Dying sheep have a habit of hiding themselves very well in the sand dunes, only to suffer long and lingering deaths.

One of Sanna's crofters writes, "I hope the people responsible for the dog - I say people because it is they, and not their dog to be blamed - take time to reflect on the amount of pain and suffering they have allowed their beloved pet to cause. They have also created hours of needless work for the Sanna crofters looking for the sheep, not to mention loss of income for its owner.

"A dog under control means walking to heel, NOT running 30 yards ahead with the odd disappearing act over a ridge where they are not being supervised. Sheep do not know whether a dog does or does not bite. Their very presence can create panic within a flock."

It seems to make no difference to a very small minority of dog owners that, if caught worrying domestic animals, a dog may be shot. The crofter writes, "It would be a desperately sad state of affairs if it came to that."