LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Chronicle (Levin), 26 July 1947, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

E.

CRESWELL.

WANDERING DOG NUISANCE Sir — I notice by "The Chronicle": that the Levin Borough Gouncil is considering action against our stray, useless and unregistered dogs. I wish the council all success and hope it will not stop at half measures, as these brutes do too much damage altogether. Firsdy, sheep worrying is yery serious. Hundreds of sheep are killed every year, many of them being ewes earrying twin lambs. Unknown damage is done to many others not killed at the time/" For instance, the flies get at some which are only bitten, and as likely as not they die later on. My second point is that dogs spread hydatids. Thousands of sheep die annually from this cause alone, and many fat carcases are deteriorated in. value and the livers condemned. In Canterbury I understand the number is as • high as 80 per cent. Human beings can and do get hydatids from the dog. More than one person a week (62 per year) in New f Zealand dies from this cause, while three times that number go to hospital for medical or surgical treatment. One case of hydatids was reported in Horowhenua last week and one in Hawke's Bay the previous week. The Government has had pills prepared, with instructions for their use, for issue with the collars when dogs are registered, but how many dogs are dosed? I have killed quite a number of dogs caught worrying sheep, but never one with a registered collar. In most cases the collars were years old, while two had collars which had been- worn by another dog three years previously. The remedy is the destruction of all I useless and unregistered dogs and the dosing of the remainder every three months. Moreover, $ie registration fee for female- dogs should be increased and all dogs be tied up at night. It is quite easy to walk through Levin or other towns and see big fat dogs lying across the footpath, while others pay unwelcome attention to car wheels, goods displayed on the footpath by tradesmen and in many other ways. Yours etc.,

Levin, July 25.