COWS WANDERING IN STREETS

Southland Times, Issue 23650, 27 October 1938, Page 4

COWS WANDERING IN STREETS

COMPLAINTS TO CITY INSPECTOR DAMAGE TO HEDGES AND GARDENS Constant vigilance is maintained by the city inspector’s department in Invercargill to detect wandering cattle in the streets, but occasional complaints are received from householders whose property has been damaged by cows. Hedges and gardens suffer particularly when cows are at large and at the present season of the year ‘when feed is short stock readily attack hedge trees of the more palatable varieties. Several complaints have been made recently about the depredations of cows in the residential suburbs, but complaints received by the city inspector average about one a week throughout the year. When a complaint is received an officer is immediately sent to catch the wandering animal, but frequently the animal has left the locality and cannot ’ be found. Where persistent attacks on property are made by animals a watch is kept at hours when the cows are usually about and if possible they are caught and impounded. Although file keeping of cows within the city area is not prohibited, the number kept in the residential suburbs is fairly small. The City Council has received occasional requests to prohibit the keeping of cows within the boundaries, but no action has been taken. Many of the cattle impounded fa the city, averaging about 100 a year, wander in from outside the city boundary and after doing damage to private property wander away gain. The principal complaints come from areas just within the boundaries, particularly new suburbs just brought into the city area.

In addition to making a complaint to the city inspector’s office, property owners are entitled to drive wandering stock to the pound and collect driving fees for doing so. They are also entitled to secure assistance, for driving the stock and to collect driving fees for an assistant. The owner of the cattle is liable for all driving and poundage fees, for a prosecution for allowing his animals to wander, and also for a civil claim by the owner of property damaged. , The experience fa Invercargill has been that the impounding of cattie is the most useful deterrent. Driving poundage and maintenance fees can quickly amount to a substantial sum and the owner frequently finds it an expensive matter to secure the release of his stock.