There are stll some very naive animal owners around, when it comes to movement forms, ear tags etc.
Over the past few years I have taken in a fair number of goats from people who could no longer keep them for one reason or another. Over the telephone I asked the usual questions ....including are they tagged?
"No, they live in my garden" was the response from a number of goat owners.
One lady, had her pygmy billy escape, returned in a police van (bet they were pleased with the smell!) and he had no tag. She was later visited by "someone official" I assume this was Trading Standards. Fortunately she had the movement forms for the billy and adult female, the kid was born in her garden. They went away saying all was well. But .....what puzzles me, is only the adult female had a tag in. The woman had bought the billy, kept him, and was trying to give him to me along with the other two, with no tag in. Surely these "officials" noticed??
Needless to say, I insisted on the tags before they left her premises.
Same senario with two females - no tags. (fell out they said), but no holes in the ear. I have my doubts.
There are still people with goats and other livestock, not tagged. To be fair, if you have not kept goats before, and do not check to see the legalities (which you should of course) maybe it can be assumed nothing is required.
In the not too distant past, I kept goats, and no one knew they existed - they lived, and died on the farm, and were buried. Thats how a lot of people kept goats. There was no paperwork, tags or anything!!!