Pet food curbs wanted

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32862, 10 March 1972, Page 2

Pet food curbs wanted

(N.Z. Press Association; WELLINGTON, March 9. Amendments proposed to the Hydatids Act would radically change the sale of pet food in New Zealand, the National Hydatids Council said today.

The new law would make it illegal to sell or offer for sale any untreated sheep or goat meat for feeding to dogs, the council said, in a statement supporting the proposed legislation. The proposed amendments are part of the Hydatids Amendment (No. 2) Bill, which was tabled in Parliament at the end of last year and will be considered by the lands and agriculture committee of the House later this month. 2 per cent infection The council said that recent testing of city pet dogs indicated that up to 2 per cent carried Taenia ovis infection; t the incidence in some areas plight be higher. | “In most cases this infection must have been acquired through the dogs being fed

raw mutton bought at butchers’ shops or supermarkets,” the council said. Sheep meat, such as mut-

ton flaps, scraps and trimmings, normally sold for dog food should be adequately treated before being sold. Another amendment in the bill would require untreated sheep or goat meat which was sold, or offered for sale, as “pet” food to be clearly labelled “not to be fed to dogs.” Registration of pups The bill also provides that pups three months of age and over should be registered and be subject to hydatids testing and treatment.

A trial survey in 1970, of pups between three and six months showed clearly that there was a significant infection in dogs of this age, the council said.