I have a legal question regarding farmers shooting dogs. I'm from a farming background and am aware that farmers can shoot dogs which enter their property and worry their sheep. Fair enough I say, as even though I'm an animal lover, I've seen the aftermath of dog attacks on sheep many times and it's not a pretty sight.
However I have a question regarding hunting hounds, ie the type used by horse hunts. My family are not hunting fans and all hunts are banned from our land. However we would like to know what is the law regarding shooting hunting hounds entering the property and worrying the sheep?
I rang 6 Garda stations last week in relation to this question and nobody knew the legal implications if these hunting hounds were shot as if they were normal dogs worrying sheep. Finally the local Garda said that they couldn't be shot like other dogs and that any farmers that did so would get into a lot of legal bother.
Can this be right? Can anybody answer this question from a legal point of view? Because as far as I know, sheep can't tell the difference if its a hunting dog or not and will be just as stressed if these dogs enter the fields.
However I have a question regarding hunting hounds, ie the type used by horse hunts. My family are not hunting fans and all hunts are banned from our land. However we would like to know what is the law regarding shooting hunting hounds entering the property and worrying the sheep?
I rang 6 Garda stations last week in relation to this question and nobody knew the legal implications if these hunting hounds were shot as if they were normal dogs worrying sheep. Finally the local Garda said that they couldn't be shot like other dogs and that any farmers that did so would get into a lot of legal bother.
Can this be right? Can anybody answer this question from a legal point of view? Because as far as I know, sheep can't tell the difference if its a hunting dog or not and will be just as stressed if these dogs enter the fields.