Three of four stolen sheepdogs found safe in Aberdeenshire

Three of four working sheepdogs which were stolen from a rural property in Aberdeenshire have been found and returned to their rightful owner.

Three out of four missing sheepdogs have been returned to the owners

The border collies were traced “safe and well” in the Huntly area, police said.

Efforts are continuing to trace the fourth dog, a 10-year-old black and white female.

The theft happened some time between 7.30pm on Wednesday and 7am on Thursday in the Cairnie area north of Huntly.

Police described it as a distressing crime for the dogs’ owner, who also saw the working dogs as family pets.

The force praised the public’s response to an appeal for information about the animals’ whereabouts.

Sergeant Ian Moeller, leading the inquiry, said: “I am delighted that three of the four dogs have been found safe and well and returned to their rightful owner.

“That being said, there is still one dog outstanding and we will continue our efforts to find her.

“The outstanding dog is the eldest of the four, female, 10 years of age, mainly black in colour with a white chest and white front left leg.”

He added: “Again, I’d like to highlight the fantastic response that we have had from the public in relation to this matter. I have no doubt that this has had a positive impact on the inquiry and I would ask anyone who has information regarding the outstanding dog to contact us.”

Police Scotland can be contacted on 101, while Crimestoppers can be reached on 0800 555 111.

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