PROTECTING SHEEP FROM DOGS AND WOLVES 369 



carcass of which the murderer of the innocent makes a 

 meal. More commonly, however, but little flesh is eaten. 

 No sooner has one sheep been killed or maimed suffi- 

 ciently to satisfy the dog, than he leaves it and engages 

 in the chase after another. More commonly the neck is 

 the favorite place of attack, but the attacks are by no 

 means confined to that part of the animal. In some in- 

 stances the slaughter is only stayed when the dogs have 

 become too exhausted to carry it on longer. Two dogs 

 have been known to kill and maim more than loo sheep 

 in one of those nocturnal carnivals of slaughter. 



It is almost impossible to prove the identity of the 

 dogs, even though they should be caught at the nefarious 

 work in the broad light of day. Assured identity of a dog 

 seen at a distance is not easy, and owing to their swift- 

 ness when pursued, it is usually impossible to follow them 

 to the home of the owner. In a few instances strong cir- 

 cumstantial evidence may be obtained against a dog sus- 

 pected of guilt, by wool hairs adhering to the teeth or 

 blood marks around the jaws, but the danger exists that 

 the fact of making such an examination may create hard 

 feelings by men who have been neighbors. 



The loss in a flock of sheep that have been worried 

 by dogs is by no means all represented, as a rule, by the 

 number of the sheep killed or wounded. The injury to 

 the surviving numbers of the flock is such that the profit 

 that would otherwise have accrued is much reduced. This 

 arises from the ill-doing for a considerable period at least 

 following the attack. This ill-doing is probably the out- 

 come in part at least of the severe shock given to the 

 nervous system arising from fright. 



Protection by legislative enactment — From what has 

 been said it will be apparent that in the absence of legis- 

 lation bearing upon compensation to the owners of sheep 

 attacked by dogs, it will be impossible for them to secure 

 such compensation. Such legislation has usually been 

 difficult to obtain, for reasons given below. It has sel- 



