States vet pushes for dog register to ‘cover all bases’
RECORDED dog attacks on sheep reached a record high last year, with five known attacks resulting in animal injuries or death.
To tackle the issue States veterinary officer David Chamberlain wants to establish a central dog register which would include owners’ details, micro-chipping and a DNA database.
‘We are pushing for a register for dogs which covers all bases,’ said Mr Chamberlain.
‘Currently, each douzaine keeps a register of dogs in its parish but this only requires the name and address of the owner.’
Grazing sheep on public land is part of Bailiwick history and encourages wildlife and biodiversity.
‘We want to do all we can to make sure sheep can continue to graze on the common,’ Mr Chamberlain said.
‘We have asked farmers to put up notices so that owners are aware of sheep long before they reach them, but dogs are still not kept on a lead. It only takes a dog to look at a sheep and this can worry the animal. If it were to run a sheep could quite easily have a miscarriage.
‘Many farmers live on a fine economical edge and the loss of a ewe or a lamb could mean the difference between profit for the year.’
DNA testing would also enable identification of dogs and owners who repeatedly let their pet foul on public land.
‘There has been a dog ordinance since the early 80s but there has never been a conviction,’ Mr Chamberlain said.
‘One woman was spotted with her dog sitting over fresh faeces – in court she stated her dog was urinating on it and, without DNA, there is no way to prove otherwise. Also we have rangers on L’Ancresse who, when apprehending an owner, are regularly abused to the point where body cameras have been proposed.’
A new system, by which DNA swabs could be taken and the owners notified by post, would pose less risk to rangers and improve overall efficiency.
Mr Chamberlain’s call for the implementation of the database echoes recommendations of police chiefs in the UK, after a joint initiative between five police forces gathered data on the issue.
Under the National Police Chiefs’ Council initiative, officers recorded 1,705 incidents of livestock worrying and attacks in their districts from September 2013 to 2017.
The attacks resulted in the deaths of 1,928 animals and 1,614 injuries – at a cost of £250,000.
NPCC lead for wildlife and rural crime, Chief constable David Jones, said: ‘This project provides hard data showing livestock worrying is a very significant issue for farmers that impacts on their livelihoods. Above all, we need the powers to tackle this problem effectively and an overhaul of the outdated and sometimes ineffective rules surrounding livestock worrying.’
