ALSATIAN DOG

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 83, 5 October 1933, Page 13

ALSATIAN DOG

CAUGHT WORRYING SHEEP

A CLAIM FOR DAMAGES

(By ■ Telegraph.—Pres9 Association) •; ' AUCKLAND, This Day. Alleging that ail Alsatian dog had been responsible for. destroying sixty-: four sheep by biting them on. the seek, William Fiulay, farmer, .of Mauku, brought an action in the Supremo Court today claiming, £100 damages from George and Vera Torkar, of Patuinahoe, jointly . and severally. Counsel said that the plaintiff, on April. 25 found 200 of his sheep herded in a" swampy many of the lambs had been bitten m the neck. It was thought that the sheep had been in the swamp at least 24 hours. Fifty were dead —some drowned and some smothered. Next morning, in the vicinity of the sheep, he found two dogs, one sitting on its haunches and ,the other, an Alsatian,, worrying the sheep. He shot it. Next day he found six sheep dead. Counsel said that the only Alsatian in the district belongedto the defendants. - . ■ ■ i - • ■ ■ ■ ■■ . Torkar said the dog belonged to his wife. Counsel was refused permission to increase the claim .to £187 ss; Counsel for the defence-said that they admitted that the dog shot.on the second occasion was responsible for the damage on that occasion, and that it was owned by Torkar, but they denied that it was responsible for the damage done on the first occasion. . The plaintiff, in evidence, told Mr. Justice Herdman that he had had no trouble since he shot the dog. ■ •■ ■ His Honour: I can't understand why they allowed the Alsatian to conic into the country. ■ Cross-examined, the plaintiff said he shot the. second dog later becauso it was.a young dog and had had a very bad lesson. He did not know which dog was responsible for the major damage, but he was satisfied from the similarity of the injuries to the sheep that the same dog was responsible. The defendant, George Torkar, farmer and storekeeper, said that he owned an Alsatian which ho did not usually/ lock or tie up. It was a coward and would not bite anyone. It could not have been responsible for the major kill, as it was locked up at that time. He had offered to pay for six sheep killed. On,the second occasion the dog was not all Alsatian. It was a halfbrecl sheepdog.. His Honour: Ho would be fond ol sheep, then. Evidence was given that; there < had been instances of sheep-worrying in. the district since the Alsatian and other dogs were shot. ,