CARE OF DOGS

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3208, 26 July 1932, Page 7

CARE OF DOGS

CRUELTIES ALLEGED. PREVENTION OF DISEASE. "A dog is the most faithful and intelligent of God's gifts to man. There is no finer companion or mate than a dog" said Mr F. H. Allen at a meeting of fhe Wanganui executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. Mr Allen strongly condemned the manner in which many dogs were ill-treatd and not looked after properly by some people, and pointed out that through lack of care and attention the danger of spreading distemper was heightened. As a result of his remark the following motion was passed:—"That this meeting is strongly of the opinion that some system of supervision of the housing and sanitary conditions and control of disease among dogs is imperative." Speaking to the motion Mr Allen said that his reason for bringing the matter forward was because of the lack of attention to dogs. Recently a drover had gone into a district and had taken with him a distempered dog. The disease had been communicated to the farmer's dogs, and a man working on the farm had also lost a valuable dog. Another farmer had called on the first farmer, arid his dogs also had contracted the disease. Just how far the outbreak would spread Mr Allen did not know, but it was a very serious matter and one that was cropping up all over the district at freuent intervals.

"There should be some system of control so that a man with a distempered dog should be compelled to notify some authority. Those animals that are affected should be isolated and quarantined until they have recovered. The ani?nal loss to the Dominion through this lack of attention must be very great," continued the speaker. "One of the dogs lost by the farmer was valued at £9, but he told me that he wouud not have parted with it for £l2. When such losses occur in the busy season there are farreaching consequences." SCANDALOUS TREATMENT. , "The manner in which many dogs are teated is scandalous. I do not say that a farmer is being intentionally cruel when he ill-treats a dog; sometimes it is caused by ignorance, carelessness or thoughtlessness. Some dogs are tied up for week after week and never allowed off the chain. Often they are in exposed positions and are never clean while the sanitary canditions are appalling. Now and again a scrap of food is flung to them and sometimes a little muddy water is given to them. I say that something should be done to see that these dogs are protected. "In some respects dogs are like pigs, for they are cleanly animals if they are given the opportunity, and I do think that something should be done about it. There is often much talk of the Society for Pevention of Cruelty to Animals. Some think that they are pin-pricking at times. That may be so, but I do say that here is a field in which they can do a lot of good." Mr D. A. Howard seconded the motion pro forma. He pointed out that at one time the Government had claimed that it had discovered a serum, which, if injected in dogs, rendered them immune from disease. He would like to know whether the Government had done anything about it. In his opinion more dogs died from starvation than from disease. Mr J. Bra-ndon stated that a Wanganui chemist had a cure which was guaranteed. The prescription was injected into the dog and it was claimed that it had not, failed yet. Mr Brandan referred to several instances of which he knew.

:Mr Currie (chairman) wondered whether an army of inspectors would not be appointed, if they were to carry the motion to its logical conclusion. They did not want to ask the Government to put .on inspectors.

Mr Allen agreed that that might be a difficulty but he still maintained that something should be done. A man with a diseased dog should be compelled to notify an authority and it should be made an offence for a man to take diseased dogs about the country.

Mr W. Craig: Just as a farmer has to notify his neighbour that he has noxious weeds on his property, so he should notify him when he has a sick dog.

Another member pointed out that the germs of the disease were often carried in the air.

Mr R. Campion considered that the motion was a good one. There were too many useless dogs kept which were a nuisance, and he considered that the motion might do good.

After further discussion the matter lapsed, the motion being passed.