26.—(1) If a Justice of the District Court or a Peace Commissioner is satisfied by the information on oath of a member of the Garda Síochána that there were reasonable grounds for believing that—

(a) a dog has attacked a person or has worried livestock, and

(b) in consequence of the attack or the worrying, the owner of the dog has committed an offence under this Act, and

(c) a person is in possession in any premises of a dog which the member of the Garda Síochána has reasonable grounds for believing to be the dog involved in the said attack or the said worrying,

the District Justice or, as the case may be, the Peace Commissioner may issue a search warrant under this section.

(2) A search warrant under this section shall be expressed, and shall operate, to authorise the member of the Garda Síochána named in the search warrant, along with such other members of the Garda Síochána as may be necessary, to enter the premises specified in the search warrant and search for the dog.

(3) A member of the Garda Síochána who is authorised by a search warrant under this section to enter a premises may use such force as may be reasonably necessary to secure entry into the premises.

(4) Any dog which is found during a search pursuant to a search warrant under this section may be removed from the premises and detained by the Garda Síochána for examination.