Huskies escape and kill 38 sheep after gate left open
bbcThree huskies savaged and killed dozens of sheep after they escaped from a secure compound in the Highlands, a court has heard.
The 38 sheep, worth almost £9,000, were just a week away from being taken to market when the attack happened on 12 September 2022 in Kingussie.
John Craig, 57, admitted failing to keep his dogs under control after one of his daughter's friends left the compound gate open.
It was the second similar conviction for him and he was fined £890 at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Craig's solicitor Willie Young said that following the previous incident he had constructed a secure compound.
His daughter had several friends for a sleepover, one of whom left the gate insecure.
The court heard there were around 70 sheep in a field at the rear of Market Lane in the village
They were killed there or chased by the huskies into the nearby river.
The dogs have been rehomed since the incident.
Craig has been compensating the shepherd at £400 a month and has so far handed over £6,400.