Raining Cats and Dogs.

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 287, 31 August 1935, Page 19

Raining Cats and Dogs.

I was interested to read the paragraph last week on evading the dog tax in the Bay of Plenty. It might be of interest to give the theories of the Natives on Mayor Island to account for the sudden invasion of 130 dogs. One woman who had visited Auckland several times said she had attended the annual dog show there once, where several hundred dogs were on exhibition from all parts of New Zealand, and that perhaps a ship conveying such dogs had been wrecked at Mayor Island, the dogs being the only survivors. Thereupon, the largest canoe was launched and the island carefully circumnavigated. but no signs of a wreck were found. So that theory collapsed. Then an old man who had worked much with Europeans said there was an expression in English about rain'ng eats and dogs, and perhaps this was an instance. But when it was pointed out that there were no cats, this explanation fell through also. Another then suggested that the dogs had perhaps fallen out with their fellows at Tattranga and decided to emigrate.—“M.,” (Wellington).