Dog attacks

razor8

Dog attacks are getting out of hand. What has happened in Offaly recently is devastating for the farmers involved. Over 100 sheep killed in two attacks

surely DNA could be used in these extreme circumstances??

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/sheep-kill-in-offaly-causes-damage-to-the-tune-of-10-000-740180

https://www.offalyexpress.ie/news/home/1003640/sheep-kill-near-offaly-border-like-something-out-of-a-horror-film.html

Peregrinus

Unless you have an existing database of the DNA of lots and lots of dogs, finding canine DNA on any of the savaqed sheep is not going to get you very far; you'll have no way of knowing which dog this canine DNA came from.

If there's a dog that you already suspect for other reasons may be responsible then, yes, if you can get a DNA sample from that dog and compare it with the traces found on the sheep that would be capable of confirming that the dog is responsible, or of ruling it out. But as matters stand there is no legal obligation on dog owners to provide samples of their dog's DNA, and the guards have no power to take samples compulsorily.

wrangler

Nothing will be sorted until farmers are allowed shoot dogs on our land.

Having experienced similar and had sheep waliking around with their mouths bitten off similar to the pics going around, I can sympathise with the farmers involved, a horrible experience. Luckily the factory took the flock of lambs involved the next day.. so wasn't affected too bad

razor8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072254#Comment_120072254

I understood we are allowed to shoot dogs on our land if they are worryingly our sheep??

Unfortunately dogs are usually gone when the farmer comes across the attack. We had a issue many years ago where we knew the dogs attacking the sheep but couldn’t get them in the act. the owner denied their involvement and guaranteed they were locked up at night. After sitting up for many nights we eventually made sure they wouldn’t do it again

Girl Geraldine

One of the main reasons it is almost impossible to enforce even when caught red handed is this "sure that's not my dog atall boss". It goes hand in hand with next to no-one having a dog licence - if something happens and your dog is licenced and chipped, then you are fúcked for it. If you've no chip and no licence you can just deny that you own the dog.

And in the event that a farmer feels that they have no option left but to shoot a dog to prevent imminent danger to sheep, then the same strategy would hold up. Shoot your dog? There was no dog here. I didn't see any dog, let alone shoot one 😉

Furze99

Farmers can also help, at least checking their stock daily, particularly on out farms. I've rescued two ewes in the last month in separate fields owned by different lads. One has a full time job and the other lives a few miles away. I rarely see the first and whilst I think the second is up often enough, I don't know how he missed this animal. In both cases they were caught up in fences and from looks of them had been there a while. It was our dog that brought them to my attention when passing through.

I know this is different from a dog attack at night but if there's no one about, then stock are more vulnerable.

Everyone in a rural area should know where their dog is, particularly at night.

Stephenc66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072681#Comment_120072681

I agree that everyone in a Rural area should know where there dog is at night. But also in towns and villages. Dogs can travel a long distance in a short enough time.

Something we experienced back in the mid 80's with dogs from a local town attacking the herd. It's a truly horrible the aftermath of a dog attack which goes on for weeks after the initial attack. Prolapses, abortions and the constant worry it will happen again.

Cran

Dogs shouldn't be allow wander free in a non secure garden end off, and dog rules enforced micro chipping and licenses. Have proper secure kennels here which weren't cheap and very frustrating when had fella here few years ago after his dogs attacked the sheep saying nice kennels.

Its also for non farmers free roaming dogs on roads isn't fair on other people. Not everyone likes dogs, postmen, walkers and cyclists will tell you many stories. Often farmers are worst culprits when comes to dogs wandering around roads, that needs to stop too

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120072543#Comment_120072543

Got a mod warning for even suggesting that on another forum. *rolls eyes*

As if farmers have time to catch alive a likely hostile dog that came out of god knows where.

Stephenc66

From experience if you find a stray dog and have a vet scan it for a micro chip. If the dog is chipped the vet will not give you the details of the owner on the data base but will contact them directly to arrange or pass on your details to return the dog.

Lets say a farmer shoots a dog caught in the act of attacking his sheep. He arranges to have the dogs scanned either by his vet or by the guards. The dog is chipped and there are owner details.

Is the farmer entitled to those details and what if anything can be done with those details to get the farmer compensation?

SuperBowserWorld

There was an attack in Tipperary and Offaly recently. Incomprehensible stuff. Also, terrible dog attack on a child in Wexford too recently. It just keeps repeating.

No excuse for this anymore. Dogs should be fenced in for the safely of the dog and also to stop this carnage. If you can't keep your dog under control you should not have one.

Need more dog license inspectors the same way as TV license inspectors with actual real powers.

There are many many more dogs now. It's a huge industry, economic churn in the country. So, there IS lots of money floating around to pay for this.

Yet, it's been handled like it's the 1930s.

Billion dollar industry with thousand dollar regulation.

whisky_galore

People pay hundreds of euro for a designer dog, but are too tight to pay to train it and look after it properly.

SuperBowserWorld

Edit ... Just repeating what I said already. I.e. huge industry, should be a lot of money from this industry used to regular it and also enforce existing laws.

jillette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073081#Comment_120073081

Generalisation much?? And while there are idiots who pay a lot for designer (in fact mongrel) dogs, there are equally a lot of people rescuing dogs. And the vast majority of dog owners do train their dogs well and control them, it's the lazy minority who let everyone else down.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120073964#Comment_120073964

They're are a lot of people rescuing them because of so many sh1tty half-arsed owners out there.

And that is not a generalisation, ask any rescue.