A LOST DOS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27505, 27 September 1950, Page 8

A LOST DOS.

Sir, —I am pleased td see that at least six others in addition to myself out of a population of 90,000 have at heart the interests of dogs, lost or otherwise. It would appear that Dunedin offers stony ground in which to sow the seeds to be broadcast during the coming ‘ World Week for Animals, 1950.” The information supplied by the Traffic Department as a footnote to my previous letter read quite well and left the impression that no avenue remains unexplored in an effort to put lost dogs at their ease. But subsequent letters by “ Justice ” and “ Bonzo ” leave behind the feeling that there is an element of ” hush hush ” at the Municipal Chambers. It may be that your generosity in allotting space for the publication of these efforts by humane correspondents will lead to some improvement in the methods employed at Dunedin in disposing of stray dogs. The traffic departmental officers could with benefit copy the practice in vogue in Christchurch and allow free access to the pound by reputable citizehs instead of hemming the place with an iron fence. So high is it that one requires a four foot step ladder to obtain a glimpse of the inside and it looked to me a rather unpleasant place in which to confine an animal even in the best of weather. I hear that the " Scottie ” dog round which this correspondence had its origin has been despatched at the Gasworks. Police officers cannot condemn a human to death and I fail to see why somebody’s dog should be put out by an official. Only a committee of the people’s elected representatives should have such powers and I intend to raise the matter after the result of the forthcoming municipal elections.—l am, etc., Fair Go.