CANINE LOYALTY

Patea Mail, Volume LIII, 6 September 1933, Page 2

CANINE LOYALTY

DEVOTION OF DOGS. STO.UES OF FAITHFULNESS, A moving little story of the bush was published recently. How Norman Morrison, a tiny tot of 2, years, of Traralgon, near Glengarry, in Australia, was lost in the bush with his dog ror 30 hours. More than 300 people took part in the search for the baby, who was found by his uncle, Mr. J Morrison, none the worse for his ad venture. When the little lad heard the sound of rescuers approaching he actually tried to “sool” his dog on to them. The episode is a mingling of boyish resource and canine loyalty, qualities which have been demonstrated many times before. A dog in Western Australia appeared at his owner’s house barking loudly to attract attention. Ho would run a few yards and then pause to see whether he was being heeded. When a man followed, the dog led him around the house to where a baby was sitting near an old sack, and, as the man watched in astonishment, the dog attempted gently to push the child away from the sack. The explanation came when the head of a black snake was seen protruding from beneath the bag. Apparently ~ the child had tried to play with the reptile, and the dog, failing to move the baby, had raced for assistance. In Victoria a few years ago a boy left in charge of a baby deposited it on a lawn and went inside. Presently he heard the sheep dog bark, and, gazing out of a window ho saw the dog dragging the child towards the house, hushing out the boy grabbed tho child. Then the dog sprang at a snake on the lawn. Alas! the snake escaped, and the dog was dead within half an hour. Turning from tragedy to comedy in

viuiiu* devotion, there comes ft story' uf a fox terrier that was wont to guard his small owner's clothing when ‘ho boy wont swimming in a river. One day the dog’s loyalty was stronger than his sense of smell; he tooh up guard over the wrong clothing, and when the real hwncr came ho had to stand ;and shiver for a quarter of an hour before the dog was made to realise his error.