AN AYRSHIRE farmer who lost 33 in-lamb ewes after a dog attack earlier this year has learnt that the dogs and their owner will not receive what he would consider 'a proper punishment'.

Davie Morrison, of Dalwyne, near Girvan, was devastated in March when he discovered two dogs standing over one his sheep, having killed it, and having left a trail of destruction in their wake, killing or seriously injuring a number of his animals.

The dogs' owner, Michael Siddle, 35, was up in court recently, and admitted that his two dogs were running free in the area at the time, and were more than likely responsible for the attack.

Sheriff Mhairi MacTaggart fined Mr Siddle £500, and the dogs were allowed to remain in his care.

"It seems like absolute madness to me that dogs which can cause damage like that have been allowed to live," explained Mr Morrison, who had not been informed that Mr Siddle was due to appear in court for the offence.

Davie, who farms 1100 Blackface ewes and a dozen Texels over 1550 acres near Barr, has been at Dalwyne for ten years, and "couldn't believe his eyes" when he discovered the two dogs in amongst his flock just prior to lambing time. The ewes were all in lamb, so Davie lost both them and their offspring.

"From a financial point of view, £500 is nothing when you think of the value of the sheep that were lost, the potential value of their progeny, and the value of the bloodlines that we lost in the attack, but that isn't the main issue in my opinion," he said.

"I'd rather Mr Siddle hadn't been fined any money, but that the dogs had been destroyed. I'm aware that that sounds like a terrible thing to say, but I would hate for those dogs to cause any more damage, and for someone else potentially to have to go through what I have.

"As far as I'm concerned those dogs can never be trusted again. I wouldn't trust them at all – around either people or livestock."