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So it seems as if some New Yorkers have come uo with their oown answer to rat infestations. They get their dogs to hunt them down and kill them. Organized packs of rat-hunting dogs -- which are the owners' personal pets is a new one on me. I guess they figure that if people's cats can kill mice, why not get thier dogs to kill rats.
This is not new. Indeed certain breeds of dogs were created for hunting and dispatching vermin from homes and or farms.
Rat, Jack Russell and other breeds of terriers are one example. Their compact size, fierce and often fearless nature is perfect for running rats to ground.
In England and other European countries back in Victorian times and probably earlier/later you could hire a "rat catcher". A man that would show up at your home or farm with one or more "ratters" or dogs that were trained/breed to hunt, catch and kill rats, then the fun began.
Several years ago saw a bit on one of the national evening news shows (ABC?), about a man living in Washington D.C. and his Jack Russell terrier named Toby. Several nights a month Toby would be taken to a park not far from the Washington Monument and let loose to catch rats. His owner would say "Toby, get the rat!", and off he went and did!
About a year back our block had a terrible rat problem. Each night when people were out walking their terrier dogs ( popular breed around here), you could see them "hunting" the rats. They knew the vermin were there and you could see them pulling on their leads to get at the things. One neighbor told me his Jack Russell actually caught a few. Asked why he allowed his dog to attack such filthy and possibly disease carrying things, and his reply was the dog simply was too fast and was at it before he knew what was going on.
Labrador Retrievers are hunting dogs, primarily just that, used to retrieve game or whatever from water or land. In rural England/GB they are one of the breeds used during hunting season such as bird shoots to fetch back the killed or injured birds that have fallen to earth Same for duck hunting in North America and so forth.
Regardless Labs are just the most fun dog! Great family pets as well!
Probably not a good idea to have a house pet mixing it up with a disease carrying rodent.
Agreed, if I had a dog I wouldn't allow my pet to sink it's teeth into a rodent. Mind you, the blood of the rodent will get onto the dog's teeth and mouth. Some of these folks would let their dog's kiss/lick them on the face later too.
Totally agree. Who lives in a place with rats in their apartment, anyway? Disgusting!
IIRC this group of ratters set their dogs loose in alleys and streets of Down-Town Manhattan, especially around or near those huge waste containers around restaurants.
Lower Manhattan has a high number of rats because of it being near water with the area being so narrow. Also there are many underground springs and such long since paved over that are sources of water. On top of this you have the subway system and a good number of abandoned or whatever underground spaces.
Should note this was historically, after Super Storm Sandy it appears the rat population down-town or a least in the Financial District has dwindled. One theory is the flood waters drowned many rats. Persons did report seeing dead rats floating in the flood waters.
As for who lives with rats in their apartments? Sadly more than you would think.
While they may not be in one's individual apartment many buildings do have rats in the walls. Even when they are not in the walls you often find them in the basements, especially of older buildings, which means quite a lot of NYC housing stock including Manhattan.
Co-worker lives in a nice enough Yorkville building and last year while going to place something in recycling bins a large rat leapt out. She screamed and ran back to her apartment. Long story short the basement door had been left open and the thing must have come up from there. It couldn't have come in via the front door and the other tenants on that floor had their door's closed.
When she contacted the super she was told that there were indeed rats in the cellars (that is where garbage is stored until trash days). To the building's credit an exterminator arrived (several days later, but that is another story), and apparently things were taken care of as the new super reports "nothing" is down there.
Doesnt surprise me that there are rats where trash is kept. Rats loooove trash! I always thought about this, ut never saw any in my old place. Roommate at the time told me she saw a rat in the basement in the trash though.
In my current place, we throw trash outside:-)
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