TATTOOING OF DOGS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29233, 17 June 1960, Page 9

TATTOOING OF DOGS

Proposal For Identification

Power for local authorities to introduce tattoo identification of dogs if the authorities consider it necessary was favoured by the Counties’ Association conference yesterday. The legislation sought was not mandatory, but could be exercised at the discretion of the local authorities, said Mr I. K. Wood 'Matamatah moving the remit. Tattooing was of extreme importance in dealing with stray dogs which caused sheep-farmers great trouble. In one district in the Waikato, one farmer had lost 200 sheep and another, whose flock had been worried, had shot 68 dogs. The man who thought so little of his dog to let it roam freely never left the collar on the dog, said Mr Wood. The collar was the only way of identifying a dog. By tattooing, all dogs could be completely controlled, he said. Overseas, the tattooing had been done on the flank and not on the ear, where hearing might be affected. Trouble had been experienced in the Inangahua county from deerstalkers’ dogs, said Mr G. J. Williams. The dogs could not be identified because they had no collars. It would be a good idea to have the dogs tattooed when they were registered, said Mr A. F. Fitzgerald (Waikohu). A dog taken to another territory could slip its collar and get away to the district in which it had lived. Although he was sympathetic, Mr D. T. Leov (Marlborough) said he had to go to meetings and hear people complaining about many regulations inflicted on them. Tattooing would not stop any of the troubles. Why not ear-mark the dogs, as farmers did with all their other stock? The remit was declared lost on the voices; but when a show of hands was called for it was declared carried.