Dogs still roaming

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 2

Dogs still roaming

Probably one Christchurch dog-owner in five has little intention of keeping his pet from wandering, according to the City Council’s health department. Although the number of complaints remained almost the same in 1977 as in the previous year — 1118 for dogs at large — extensive publicity about dog laws had not worked very well, said the department’s annual report. Almost 1700 animals -were taken inlu the custody of a dog ranger during the year. More than half of the dogs put in the dog shelter were claimed by their owners, but 4TI were destroyed. Only 109 found new owners. The council did better in its hydatids-treatment results. From 1976 to 1977, it raised itself from seventyfirst among 85 control authorities to twenty-fifth position. Only four pet dogs and one working dog were found with sheep measles.

i No dog had either true or ■ false hydatids infection. r The use of purging dosing > for pet dogs within urban H areas has been abolished by the National Hydatids Counf cil, because few cases of : hydatids are found in cities. > However, any dog sus- • pected of carrying the dis- > ease can still be given the I purging drug, arecoline, in- [ stead of the non-purging ■ doses now being given. Hunting, working, and > rural dogs, however, are still i subject to be purged as are pet dogs in cities not kept ■ under proper control. Under the new regu- ■ lations, pet dogs in urban . areas will be dosed twiceyearly with a non-purging drug. But dogs running loose i or suspected of having eaten raw meat or offal will be 1 t given the purging drug. There are an estimated 18,000 pet dogs in the Christi church metropolitan area, according to the Chief City > Health Inspector (Mr A. P. Millthorpe). j