Overview
- A few weeks before reports, farmer Tom Trueman sent his trained border collie, Tilly, to round up sheep that had escaped onto a nearby lane while he controlled traffic and brought the flock back.
- A passerby reported suspected 'sheep worrying' to the RSPCA, which logged the complaint and sent Trueman a letter with two pamphlets on dog behaviour and dog care.
- Two days after the charity logged the report an RSPCA inspector phoned, accepted the farmer’s explanation and advised him to discard the letter, with no enforcement or sanctions following.
- Trueman posted a video about the episode that went viral on social media, attracting around one million Instagram views and prompting mixed public reaction and national media coverage.
- The case highlights how working dogs can be misread by the public, how the RSPCA’s standard triage can create stress for farmers, and how that tension may shape future guidance on recognising legitimate farm herding.