ALSATIAN DOG BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22392, 13 April 1936, Page 12

ALSATIAN DOG BILL

Sir,—Mr. Alex Boyd, writing on this subject after considerable experience ot all sorts of dogs, savs there are np wild dogs in the country for Alsatians to mate with. It is true there is no native dog like the Australian dingo, but it ho were to come into the back-blocks lie would see some large-built dogsstrays from various Maori pas—which are already mating with carelessly-kept Alsatians and producing a vorv dangerous strain—dangerous not only to stock, but to children on country roads and bush tracks. I do not know the name of the breed I have indicated. It is not, of course, a pure breed, but it is a big, heavy dog, grizzlv-grey in colour, witn coarse hair and slightly drooping cars. T know its kind well, as I have twice been attacked by the animals, but, no being injured, 1 said nothing about itI have known many owners of Alsatians but I have never known one who kep such a dog for a really useful purpose - " that is to say, as a working dog. Some young girls who could n °t control « savage dog for five minutes ha\e t because it is supposed to be ra smart to own them: Others breed th. , because they are—or were the fas for a time and good prices coula obtained. No doubt, they are « ; watch-dogs or protectors of the , ' but I have never heard of a case they afforded any more protection a less powerful dog ot milder t 1 • And the fact of mixed breeding , have mentioned can be attest many a worried farmer, but they it is no use making a fuss so Ion„ so-called sporting cwmunity , < leisured class desire to keep • ' j and useless animal. It is to „:ji f be an exceedingly drastic n J e f su f® Dro tect , passed, before it is too late t P the bush farmer—and for that t the bush child—from has no right to exist in this