The year 1941 seemed to be all 'dog days.' Two hundred and thirty-two allbreed and 115 one-breed shows were held, comprising a total of 91,000 dogs and approximately 30,000 exhibitors. The orange-belton English setter Ch. Maro of Maridor won most top honors — fourteen best-in-shows.
Canned dog food sales approximated $60,000,000. An additional $20,000,000 in other sales — dry dog food, collars, equipment, etc., along with $15,000,000 in veterinary services, dog shows and other outlays, ran the country's dog bill to $95,000,000, exclusive of dog purchases (see later).
The merry little cocker still leads in registrations followed by the beagle, boston terrier, scottish terrier and wirehaired foxterrier in order.
The American Kennel Club, New York City, which supervises dog shows registered approximately 82,000 dogs. The American Field of Chicago, concentrating on hunting dogs, registered 14,000.
The canine population remains around 12,000,000 of which not more than 4,000,000 are pedigreed. The greatest increase in dog ownership has been in cities. Dog sales, for the year totaled around 600,000 dogs of which approximately one-fourth were purchased in December, principally as Christmas gifts. It can be said that an average purchase price is around $30 (total $18,000,000) and that practically all purchases are of puppies not yet five months old.
Rabies continues to appear in scattered localities but proper dog control has reduced some of the danger from it. Encephalitis however has increased, taking a heavy toll.
Better dog control and 'better dog owners' were the objectives of National Dog Week, which for 1942 will be observed Sept. 20-26.
No comments:
Post a Comment