The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-06-19
HOW DO(, LOVERS
CAN SAVE SHEEP
Owners of CANNES Can Aid by
Supporting Fair State Laws
Regulating Menace.
BIG HINDRANCE TO INDUSTRY
Most Serious Loss is Fact That Farm
ers Are Kept From Engaging In
Sheep Business-Dog-Proof
Fences Described.

Thousands of sheep are ruthlessly |
killed every year by dogs. The none |
tary loss of more than 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 is the most serious
result which may be attributed TO
sheep-killing dogs Specialists of the
United States department of agricul-
ture are urging efficient state legisla-
ton as one of the best ways to deal
with the sheep-killing dog problem.
Dog-proof fences also are described
and advocated in a recent publication
of the department of agriculture deal
ing with this subject, The Sheep-Kill-
ing Dog" Farmers Bulletin 935.
Hindrance to Industry
That dogs are real hindrance to
the sheep industry is not only ac-
claimed by the testimony of thousands
| of sheep owners but is verified by
actual conservative statistics. An in
| vestigation by the United States de-
/ partment of agriculture among sheep
/ owners in Is states east of the Rocky
| mountains shows that out of a total
| of 1885, 492 sheep in the 500 counties
/ reporting, 34,6S3 were killed by dogs
| in one year-1913-and paid for by the
counties. At the same rate of loss in
/ e. hA tnt oil To-
struction of sheep by dogs would be
| 10T, 760 head. But these figures are
based only upon the number actually
paid for, and specialists of the United
States department of agriculture say
it is more than probable that the true
losses far exceed this. 1t is known that
many sheep are killed which are never
reported to the county officials.
/ Sheep-killing dogs work both singly
and in groups, but usually in twos OF
threes. They do not limit their at
, tacks to the f1ocks of the immediate
vicinity in which they are kept, bu
/ travel for miles in all directions
, spreading destruction in the fiock'
with which they come in contact. BE
cause their work is so often done un
der cover of darkness it is almost i'm
+ possible to catch them in the act o
: worrying sheep, hence they can seldom
t be positively identified. The ways Il
: which different dogs attack and de
2 stroy sheep vary greatly. Some dog
7 simply kill one or two in a focf
while others continue to attack unit
all the sheep are either destroyed 0
! crippled. In many cases where larg
: numbers are killed they are neithe
bitten nor wounded but simply chase
), until they die from exhaustion. Afte
G dog has once formed habit of xii
t ing sheep it seemingly becomes
a mania with him and he is seldom,
o ever, broken of it. He not only d.
+ stroys sheep himself but leads othe
y dogs to the work. No considerable
, should be given such dogs; they Shout
be killed as soon as their habits al
known.
RehabiIitating Industry.
The desirability of a maximum Il
: crease in the number of sheep is ge
e orally admitted and steps now a.
/ being taken toward q rehabilitation
y the sheep industry. But 1t is reco
: nized that one of the most effecti'
L means of insuring the farmer pro
l. on sheep is to make and enforce lay
L which adequately protect the farmer
d flock, but in most of the states q
1t present dog laws fail in their purpos
Try The RefOrme1