The Uses of Alsatians

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 93, 14 January 1935, Page 11

The Uses of Alsatians

Sir, —-I wish to support the correspondent who wrote from Masterton decrying the revival of the agitation against Alsatians. In preparing evidence to place before legislators when the proposed Bilj was under discussion, I made extensive inquiries in one large province of New Zealand. Therg, medical men, chemists and others could, tell of no treatments for bites by Alsatians, nor were the police able to give any instance of complaints of attacks by this breed. But I did. discover that several fanners were using them successfully with stock. One was working a bitch, which was so intelligent that it was the only dog he could use for night unloading of sheep at his small country station. Another farmer was so impressed that he had a moving picture taken of his Alsatians at work with cattle. One storekeeper at a lonely spot was troubled with thieves until he got an Alsatian. There have been a number of cases at the Magistrate’s 'Court, Wellington, recently, where orders have been given for the destruction of dogs. None of these has been an Alsatian. From the outcry there is among ill-informed sections, one would think that dog bites are something new. I was bitten several times by dogs of various breeds before an Alsatian was seen in the country. I know of one case near New Plymouth, Taranaki, last. year, when cattle dogs attacked school children swinging behind a cart. The dogs were destroyed and compensation paid the children. No one interviewed the parents of the attacked children. Apparently if an Alsatian bites a person it is news—• if any other breed of dog bites, it is not. It may interest some readers to learn that the name Alsatian was foisted upon this breed, which is of German origin and called there the German shepherd dog, because when it was introduced into England after the Great War, it would have been fatal to the introduction to call the breed German. Now the name Alsatian has stuck in British countries. These dogs are trained by the State in Germany for police, Red Cross, guard, messenger and blind-leading dogs. In England they are used for sheep work, many are now being trained for blindleading, funds for which were raised by a 8.8. C. appeal—while police on country and lonely beats find them invaluable. The greatest tribute to these animals is that they have survived the attacks on them. They met similar opposition in England, but are now the most popular breed. Registration figures bear this out. Now with the agitation that has been fosterqil in New Zealand, the Alsatian owner who takes his dog for a walk is confronted with the spectacle of women going out of their way to avoid the dog, at the same time muttering expressions like “I hate those brutes,” or.. if there is a party, relating with embellishments, the latest Alsatian atrocity story. When will sanity prevail? New Zealand hasalways had laws for dealing with its outlaws—human and animal. Let these still be sufficient. —I am, etc.. K.R.H. Wellington. January 12.