Community Concerns

The Neighbourhood Policing Team for Higherfolds is aware of community concerns regarding reports of a dog acting dangerously and being linked to several attacks on cats. We take these reports extremely seriously. A full investigation was conducted, resulting in the identification of an individual and the initial seizure of the dog.

As the investigation progresses, the dog was returned to a family member of the owner. Both the owner and the nominated family member were issued with Community Protection Warnings, which set out specific conditions for the handling and management of the dog. These conditions are as follows:

The team was subsequently made aware of a potential breach of these conditions. A further investigation confirmed that breaches had occurred. As a result, the Community Protection Warning has been escalated to a Community Protection Notice. No further warnings or notices will be issued. Should we receive evidence of any additional breaches, enforcement action will be taken, including the potential seizure of the dog.

Since the Notice was issued on 10 March, no further breaches have been reported. If you witness any breaches of these conditions, please report them to us, and they will be fully investigated.

To reassure the public, the original case remains open, and we are actively working towards further action. The measures currently in place serve as temporary safeguards to protect the public and their property while we progress this matter through the civil courts. This structured, staged approach ensures that the owner and their family are given every reasonable opportunity to comply with their responsibilities before more permanent action—such as removing the dog—is taken.