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Sheepdog 'drives' tractor onto M74
Don
Don is thought to have leaned on the vehicle's controls, moving it off the field and onto the motorway.

Don in the dog house after taking the wheel

A sheepdog named Don has found himself the focus of much media attention after he took charge of his owner's tractor, 'driving' it off a field and onto the M74.

Traffic Scotland tweeted: '#M74 (N) J13-RTC due to dog taking control of tractor... nope, not joking. Farmer&police at scene,vehicle in central res. #maycausetailbacks.'

Later, the traffic body reported that the road was clear and nobody had been injured: 'Route is CLEAR from earlier incident & dog is fine. Has to be the weirdest thing we have ever reported! No delays in area.'

Don is thought to have leaned on the vehicle's controls, moving it off the field and onto the motorway.

The incident has prompted many dog related puns on Twitter; Isabel Feiras said 'He's looking rather sheepish (sorry)', Andrew Rollason said 'Are the police investigating this - do they have any leads?'

Image: Twitter/@trafficscotland

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.