DOGS ILL-FED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 45, 23 February 1937, Page 9

DOGS ILL-FED.

TREATMENT IN N.Z.

ALLEGATIONS SUPPORTED.

CAUSE OF HYDATIDS T

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WAIROA, this day

The opinion that the practice of ; farmers, drovers and shepherds in New I - Zealand of feeding raw offal to dogs was j' the primary cause of hydatids and ' should be prohibited was expressed to a "Star" representative by Mr. A. C. De Lautour, president of the Wairoa Collie Club and a prominent farmer in ' the district, when replying to allegations made in Auckland recently in connection with the treatment of sheep dogs in the Dominion. The general j opinion of farmene in the district ie that i sheep dogs in the Dominion are shamefully neglected, and that in this district there is plenty of room for improvement. Mr. De Lautour said the position here was capable of being improved 200 per cent. He agreed that the treatment of dogs was by no meane satisfactory, but then again he knew of some owners who looked after their dogs wonderfully well. He added that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs was due in some degree to station owners who did not give the men sufficient meat to feed their dogs properly. Station owners could help to improve the present position considerably by making a more generous allowance of food. Mr. De Lautour agreed with the suggestion that if dogs were fed properly hydatids would not he eo prevalent. The disease was caused by feeding dogs on raw offal. "We should be forced to protect ourselves," he said. "It should be made an offence to feed doge with raw offal." "111-fed and Miserable." "There i« a fair amount of truth in the allegations," said another prominent Wairoa farmer. "However, the shepherds are not the only ones to blame. Conditions on some of our large stations are very bad. In many cases dogs are tied up under trees and left there through rain and hail, ill-fed and miserable, until they are required for work, with an occasional sheep's head or liver thrown to them." The farmer eaid he would say that ift the majority of cases doge did not receive proper care and attention. The kennele of many of them consisted of holes in the ground, which soon became dirty and sloppy. Dogs were allowed to go three or four days without food. He agreed with the suggestion that the incidence of hydatids might be reduced considerably by more careful and regular feeding of dogs. He said he had seen places where dogs were properly looked after, and it was a pleasure to visit them. "Ye*. I agree that we do not give our dogs proper care," he added, "but on the other hand we can't mollycoddle them as they do in the Old Country, where conditions are much different to what thev are here."