The Fielding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1889. Laying Poison

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 44, 26 September 1889, Page 2

The Fielding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1889. Laying Poison

Owing to the number of wild, or masterless, dogs roaming about m the back country and in tbe cleariugs round Feilding, destroying sheep aud lambs, several owners of stock have been attempting the extirpation of tbese canine abominations by administering poison which is mixed iv parcels of tempting food, and distributed in various parts of the Beveral farms or sheep walks. This plan has been followed with uuvarying success, and although several valuable, and inuo cent, dogs have been sent to their long honies thereby, yet on the other baud, quite a large number of sheepkillers have beeu destroyed. But, because of the loss which has been entailed on those who have had harmless collie or sporting dogs poisoned, which were well trained and useful, and which losses might have been averted, we quote for the information of whom it may concern Clause 15 iv

the Police Offences Act, 1884, which deals with the matter: — " Any person who throws, casts, drops, or lays, or causes or procures to be thrown, cast, dropped, or laid any poison on.or in any public place, or auy place adjacent thereto, in any "borough, or town district, or oii or within three cludns 6f any highway outside of any borough or town district, or on any laud or premises anywhere, not in his own actual occupation, or buries any poison in any land at less than two feet from the surface shall, for every si on offence, be liable to a penalty uot exceeding ten pounds." When poison ia laid by owners of land on whicb^ sheep are grazing, the rule has hitherto been to advertise the fact; and we have hoard of very few exceptions to tibis ruie, but notice boards, could be\put up with advantage, so^that persdns with dogs in their following might be warned to exercise proper care and keep their animals from wandering. These neighborly precautious cost nothing hardly, and in many cases prevent bad feeling, because a man who has had his friend and conipauion, as the dog naturally is in so many instances, poisoned, lie can never forgive the poisoner. We have known a life lone quarrel started in this way.