WORKING DOGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1939, Page 7

WORKING DOGS

PROTECTION FROM MOTOR VEHICLES ATTITUDE OF DEPARTMENT. ASSURANCE BY COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORT. At its March meeting the Masterton County Council decided to draw the attention of the Commissioner of Transport to the number of working dogs either killed or injured in the district during recent months as a result, it was alleged, of careless or inconsiderate driving on the part of drivers of motor vehicles. “You may be assured that the protection of farmers’ or drovers’ working dogs from motor traffic is a matter with which this department is in complete sympathy,” stated a reply received from the CommissToner at yesterday’s meeting of the council. The publicity officer, he added, had been directed to give special attention to the subject in the publicity measures of the Department. He was also arranging to'actyise all the department’s inspectors that any case of injuries to a working dog by a motor vehicle which came under notice or was reported to the inspector was to be the subject of a special investigation with a view to ascertaining whether a prosecution by the department was justified.

Naturally, if any case of driving resulting in injuries to a dog was such that a prosecution for negligent or careless driving would be justified and would Have reasonable grounds of success, there was no hesitation on the part of the department in taking proceedings. The difficulty generally was to obtain sufficient proof to satisfy the Court that the motorist was at fault. Councillor G. Moore said it was high time that something should be done, and on his motion it was decided to write thanking the Commissioner for the interest he was taking in the matter.