Dog attacks

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.

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.

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

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?

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

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.