CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19110, 20 September 1927, Page 11

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

TO THE EDZTOB OF THE PBESS. Sir,—ln answer to "Be Fair's" letter. I would like to state the facts of the accident to my dog. For four years he has ridden safely on the running board of the car. Last Wednesday he was taken into town by mistake, and then tied to the side of the car f of safety. He evidently fell off the car as I turned the corner. This, escaped my notice until my attention was drawn to the fact. Fortunately we had travelled scarcely any distance, and though his feet were grazed, otherwise he is none the worse for his unpleasant experience. I must thank '-Be Fair" and ''Human Animal" for their sense .of justice.—Yours, et'e., K. M. DEANS. Dnrfield, September 18th. TO THE EDITOB OT THE PBESS. Sir,—A "good deal lias been written in your columns lately about cruelty to animals. I think we are apt sometimes to cough over a mite and swallow a mountain. There is one form of cruelty that goes or? weekly at this time of year, largely, I am sure, from thoughtlessness, and that is the taking of young lambs from their mothers during the flush of milk and spring grass without thought or heed of the awful suffering of the poor ewe with her bag bursting with milk. The women of the country should raise a united voice against this inhuman practice, when no doubt people of kindly instincts would take the necessary steps to dry off the milk.—Yours, etc., G.G. September 19th. TO' THE EDITOR OT THE PRESS. Sir,—Allow me space to add one more letter to the number .ilrcady written on "this subject. So far, no one seems to have touched on what, to my mind, is the most important point regarding dogs riding on the footboards of motor-cars, and that is: they should 'never be tied. Through this careless habit, we have learned from Miss Hunter-AVatts's letter, the suffering which is almost certain to bei'al any dog which loses its footing when tied on ■ the outside of a car. Unfortunately, this is not the' first time I have heard of such a case. In one instance, when the dog was tied to the footboard and the car running at a high speed on a dark country road, the unfortunate animal was found at the end of the journey not only dead, but horribly bruised. Could not the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty .to Animals make it a punishable offence for anyone to tie a dog to the footboard of a car?— Yours, etc., DEFEND THE FAITHEUL. September 19fh. • ■

1 TO THE EDITOR Off THE PRESS. Sir, —Surely Miss Hunter-Watts was most ill-advised to rush into print and suggest that the regrettable incident she witnessed was an intentional and diabolical cruelty . on the part of the driver of the car. That cruelty could be the act only of a madman. The unfortunate happening could have been an accident only, and the driver concerned more distressed than Miss Hunter-Watts herself, when he discovered it. A case that-came . under my notice some time ago may have been due to a similar cause. Some dogs were being sent to a country town by motor-bus, there being one more than the dog-box would hold. The extra one was securely tied on to the running board, but. owing, no doubt, to the roughness of the road, some cord must have become loosened, and at the end of the first stop tho .dog was found .dead, having; either sprung out or been bumped out and dragged. No cruelty, was imputed ,to the driver, as the cause was so evident. Especially did no one suggest he had dragged it

along intentionally. For myself, I feel that: the contents of Miss Hunter-Watts' letter have cast a most undesired slur upon the people of Christcliurch, since I know that such cruelty as she writes of would not be tolerated for one moment if 'known. As to calling for condign punishment on the driver of the ■ car, without troubling to find out the facts of the case, or even using ordinary commonsense, which would surely suggest that it imist have been an accident, and unconsciously done —being done through a public street—it is hardly what one would expect from such a gifted -exponent of the character of Portia.—Yours, etc.. LOVER OF ANIMALS AND JUSTICE TOO. September 18th, 1927. ,