AN all-time high of recorded dog attacks on livestock has sparked a move which could make it easier for owners and their pets to be tracked down.

Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society (DLPS) is calling for dogs' DNA to be taken and recorded on a register at the same time the animal is microchipped.

The DLPS, farmers and interested organisations hope the 'Catch the Canine Culprit' campaign for DNA samples to be taken will make it easier to identify the owner and dog involved in any attack.

Livestock protection officer for the DLPS Karla McKechnie is on call around the clock working for the welfare of sheep, cattle and ponies on Dartmoor.

Last year Karla recorded at least 70 sheep attacks by dogs on Dartmoor, but only a fraction of dogs were caught and owners cautioned, as most of the time the dogs run off and cannot be traced.

She said: 'We have had 70 to 100 reported attacks and there are lots that go unreported. Sheep and lambs are killed and injured and ewes abort because of uncontrolled dogs — this is a national problem.

'The Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society is campaigning to try to make it mandatory for DNA to be taken from dogs — we have to try todo something and this will give us a procedure to identify the animal.

'The process is non-invasive — it's accessed by extracting a hair follicle or by saliva from inside the animal's cheek. There is no harm to the animal and its DNA will be on the central register.'

The DLPS has spoken to the National Sheep Association, National Farmers' Union, West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox, Dartmoor Commoners' Council and the All Party Parliament for Animal Welfare to try to gather support for the campaign. Then it is hoped to lobby parliament to persuade ministers to include the campaign in the regulations for microchipping.

In April 2016 a new law takes effect which will require everyone, with a few exceptions, to have their dog microchipped by the age of eight months.

'It would be a simple step, at the same time as a dog is microchipped, to make it compulsory that a DNA sample is taken,' said Karla.

'This would mean that if a dog later attacks livestock and runs off, the DNA which is left on the victim can be matched to that on the register, the dog identified and the owner fined or charged as appropriate.

'The effect will be that dog owners are discouraged from allowing their dogs to cause injury because they will know they can be traced.'

Farmer and vice chairman of the Dartmoor Commoners' Council Mary Alford said she was in favour of the campaign.

Mrs Alford said: 'The campaign is a step forward as this is now very serious and the number of sheep attacked is going up.

'This is a way to trace the owners of irresponsible dogs — I am sure that responsible dog owners will be behind us.

'The main thing is the welfare of the animals that are attacked — and that is a large number.

'The situation is so bad that something really needs to be done.'

Trish Curry, an owner of a 13-week old Border Collie who is yet to be microchipped, said she would agree for her dog to have his DNA sample taken and said she supported the campaign by the DLPS.

'I do agree with the campaign — what harm would it do to have a dog's DNA on a database?

'Some dog owners are irresponsible and they should take responsibility for their pets and their pets' actions. You shouldn't let your dog off the lead unless you are sure they are behaving.'

DLPS also works in co-operation with the Tavistock police in relation to sheep attacks.

Acting inspector for West Devon Mark Sloman said: 'We would support this campaign to identify dog owners, especially where there have been repeat incidents in the same area of livestock being attacked.

'We would encourage anything that would help to protect livestock.'

The DNA database is proposed to be held by a biotech company called Streetkleen from Wales. Once the registers are in place, a swab can be taken from the bitten area of an attacked sheep and the DNA matched with that on the register.