The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-05-03
HOW DOG LOVERS
CAN SAVE SHEEP
Owners Of CANNES Can Aid by
Supporting Fair State Laws
Regulating Menace.
BIG HINDRANcE TO INDUSTRY
Most Serious Loss IL Fact That farm
ere Are Kept From Engaging IN
sheep BuslnssS-Doa-Proof
Fences Described.

Thousands Of sheep are ruthlessly
killed every year by dogs. The none.
tary loss Of more than a million dollars
a year to sheep owners does not cover
the most serious aspect Of the damage
The fact that the dog menace keeps
many farmers from engaging In the
sheep business. even at this time when
there are urgent demands for more
wool and meat. IN the most serOus
result which may be attributed TO
sheep-killing dogs. Specialists OF the
United States department Of ngricul-
ture are urglna efficient state legisla.
ton a. one OF the best ways to Zeal
with the sh~ecp-kililng dog problem.
Dog.proof fences also are described
and advocated In y recen publication
NJ the department OF agriculture deal.
Ing with this subject. The sheep Kill
ing Dog" Farmers Bulletin o35.
Alndranes 10 Industry.
That dogs are a real hindrance TO
the sheep industry II not only ac
claimed by the testimony Of thousands
Of sheep owners but IL verified by
actual conservative statistics. An In
v~estigntion by the United States de-
partment Of agriculture among sheep
owners In rs states east OF the Rocky
mountains shows that out ~ a total
of G.S30,4o2 sheep In the SOC counties
reporting. 3a.Gs3 were killed by dogs
In one ycar-ini3-nnd paid for by the
counties. A. the same rate OF loss In
other farm states the total annual de
struction Of sheep by dogs would be
iOT 200 head. But these figures are
based only upon the number actually
paid for, and specialists Of the United
States department OF agriculture say
Il Is more than probable that the true
losses far exceed this. II Is known that
many sheep ARE killed which are
reported % the county officials.
Sheep-killing dogs work both singly
and In groups. but usually In twOs or
threea. They do not limit their at
tacks TO the iocks Of the immediate
vicinity IN which they are kept. but
travel TOR miles In all directions,
spreading destruction In the hocks
with which they come In contact. Be
cause their work Is so often done UNI
der cover OF darkness Il Ia almost i'm
possible 10 catch them In the act OF
worrying sheep. hence they a seldom
be positively Identified. The ways In
which different dogs attack and de-
stroy sheep vary greatly. Some dogs
simply XIII one or two In a flock,
III. .sh.-. .a,tluua 40 attach mill
all the sheep are either destroyed or
crippled. In many cases where large
numbers are killed they are neither
bitten nor wounded but simply chased
until they die from exhaustion. After
a dog has once formed a habit Of kill
ing sheep Il seemingly becomes a
mania with him and he IL seldom. IL
ever. broken Of Il. He not only de-
stroys sheep himself but leads other
dogs 20 the work. No consideration
should be given such dogs they should
be killed Ms soon ms their habits are
known.
RehabIllsatlng Industry.
The deslnbllity Of a maximum In
crease IN the number OF sheep Is gen
orally admitted and steps now are
being taken toward a rehabilitation OF
he sheep Industry. But Il Is recog-
nlsed that n OF the most effective
means OF lnsurlng the farmer a pront
on sheep Ia to make and enforce laws
which adequately protect the farmer
flock. bat In most OF the states the
proseRt dog laws Tall In their purpose.