SHEEP DOGS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 8

SHEEP DOGS

TO ran EDITOR or thi press Sir, —A friend of mine in the South Island has sent me all the correspondence which appeared in your newspaper, in, reply to my letter, written on February 14, on “Sheep Dogs.” I am more than gratified at receiving so much support, and feel that with a little organisation and education, great strides can be made. Hiram Hunter seems to think that because dogs are scavengers by nature, they should be encouraged to eat filth. He also disapproves of tourists expressing their views on New Zealand. I think, as a rule, persons who come fresh to a place can see things in better proportion than the people- who are daily in contact with them. I think it is correct to say, after having read the correspondence, that a large number of people in New Zealand agree that there is plenty of room for improvement in the management of sheep dogs. Acts of violent cruelty are committed only by vicious characters. Unfortunately, evefry country in the world ’ has this scourge to _ deal with. That is one of the chief objects of the Royal Society ’ for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. But the questions of feeding and housing, which are of paramount importance, should be the care of every dog-owner. Mrs G. J. Smith and D. A. Hennessey gave in their letters constructive and practical suggestions as to feeding. A bowl of porridge before a dog starts out in the morning could not possibly affect his work adversely, whereas no sane person would give a dog a large feed of meat before working. When master and dog come home from their day’s work, both are tired —both want the same thing, i.e, food and drink. Both have been looking forward to it. so let us hope both get it. Providing the dog with his meal after work differs in various cases. In stations where there is labour it can be no trouble for the owner to provide a copper, where soup and meat are cooked for the dogs. All it needs is a little organisation, and someone told off to keep his eye on it. There are always plenty of bones and pieces of meat to go into a pot of this sort. I would go so far as to say that an owner of a station who employs shepherds should satisfy himself that his men do feed their dogs properly. In this case, when the shepherd returns from his work, all he has to do is to get the dog his meal from the copper. The other case is not quite so simple. The shepherd who returns to his cottage, and has not got the means to provide a copner. should make arrangements with the person who cooks his meals to have something ready for the dogs as well. lam sure the great majority of shepherds do this. The question of hydatids was mentioned in many letters. I am sure proper feeding of dogs would eliminate this disease. If the medical authorities take a serious view of this disease, then I should think some form of legislation might be introduced to prohibit the feeding of offal to sheep dogs. Cannot this be done through the local authorities? It would soon spread from one district to another. Thus the education In proper feeding would advance. It would be more effective still if some members of Parliament vrould interest themselves in the matter, and possibly get a Ijill passed. I should like to thank all those per- . sons who wrote letters in -answer to

mine. I hope they will get together, and try to get something done. I shall certainly take the greatest interest in their labours. I should like to add that there was a great deal of support for my views in both the Wellington and Auckland newspapers. In conclusion, lam positive that those unnecessary hardships suffered by sheep dogs can be altered, if New Zealanders themselves desire it. —Yours, etc., J. E. M. BRADISH-ELLAMES (Capt.). Little Marlow, England, May 9, 1937. [This correspondence is now closed. — Ed.. “The Press.”]