FIVE-LEGGED SHEEP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 140, 26 March 1930, Page 3

FIVE-LEGGED SHEEP.

DAMAGES FOR ITS LOSS.

ANIMAL HOSPITAL TO PAY £lO.

(Special to the "Guardian. ) CHRISTCHURCH, March 25. A claim for the sum of £SO damages was made by Thomas John Jtagby (M r D. W. Russell) against Joh*on » Anm. Hospital, Ltd. (Mr F. TV. Johnston) in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., was on the Bench. The claim was in respect ot a nveleied sheep of which plaintiff alleged ! 11l defendant had not kept proper care when it was placed in his charge. I? was further alleged that the™ was destroyed owinj? to defendant s 11 stated that Rigby was the owner of a five-legged sheep which it was his intention to display at various shows- round the country Ihe animal was placed in the charge of.the authorities of J Johnson's Animal Home, but escaped » nd ™ s + . ff found dead in a ditch.. Plaintiff had gone to some expense in making arrangements to show it. , It had a fifth leg, well formed, growing. from the brisket and this leg went right to the ground, branching into two hooves at the bottom. It was a. grown sheep in quite healthy condition. Plaintiff had sold a half share in it to a man named Doherty, at Timaru foi £2o The sheen was unique and iare, and Mr Russell submitted that when any rare chattel such as the sheep was given to a man to look after and was then lost, "the damages a lowed had to be commensurate with the showing Mr'Russell went on to compare the sheep to the first edition of any noted author's work. _ . The Magistrate: Is this a fust €d Mr n ßussell: The only edition, your W Mr h Johnston, for defendant, submitted that there was legally no claim and that plaintiff's ideas of value were Wr M g E Lvons, secretary of the Agricultural' and Pastoral Association, said that malformed lamos were f*y common. He had" not known a lambing season pass without numerous cases of the kind. An advertiser for sheep of this description would .be inundated with replies in his opinion. He would not pay more than £4 or £o for a sheep of the description in dispute The Magistrate said that cases ot deformitv of the kind mentioned were not so common. Defendants wereßesponsible for the safety of .the animal but the amount was too high. Judgment was given for plaintiff tor £lO and costs.