A new forensic research project is working with farmers and the police to improve the collection of offending dog DNA from attacked livestock.
The Canine DNA Recovery Project aims to develop best practice methods for the collection and analysis of canine DNA from attacked livestock and wildlife.
Farm animals worth an estimated £2.4 million were severely injured and killed by dog attacks in 2022, NFU Mutual's latest figures show.
Not only do these attacks cause suffering to livestock, but they can traumatise farmers and their families as they deal with the aftermath.
While attacks are on the increase, obtaining suitable forensic samples from the scene is often difficult as attacks can occur in remote locations.
The new research project is being led by Dr Nick Dawnay from Liverpool John Moores University, forming part of the Canine DNA Recovery Project.
Dr Dawnay said: “Our rural crime police can’t always attend scenes in a timely manner so quite often no forensic sample is collected from the injured or deceased livestock.
"The timing of sample collection is important as the DNA of an offending dog will not last long on an animal exposed to the elements or on a dead carcass that has been disturbed or moved.”
This led Dr Dawnay to develop early evidence kits so that, in the event of a livestock attack, a forensic sample can be collected at the crime scene by police, vets and farmers.
The kits will enable canine DNA to be collected in minutes at the scene of the attack, with samples then handed to the police.
They will be distributed across 10 regions in England and Wales this summer via participating police forces, NFU Mutual, the National Sheep Association, and NFU Cymru.
Dave Allen, who is North Wales Police Livestock Offence Working Group Secretary, welcomed the new project, calling it an 'exciting development'.
He said: “New legislation is currently making its way through parliament and gives police the power to take a DNA sample from a suspected dog to compare to canine DNA left at an attack scene.
"These kits are an exciting development and can be utilised for an issue that causes major concern to our UK rural communities”.
