Letter: Happy dogs in quarantine

Sir: It seems clear that the discussion on rabies and quarantine rules ("Quarantine laws on the dog house", 13 December) is to be clouded by an anthropomorphic argument as follows: "I would hate to face six months solitary confinement: therefore my dog suffers as I would."

This is not necessarily true. Can a dog appreciate time - especially a future duration of six months?

I was for some time in veterinary charge of quarantine kennels, and observed the behaviour of many dogs. They settled down at once to regular meals (maybe better balanced than at home!), regular exercise and what we would call "boredom". Of course, when their owners visited, they exhibited transports of excitement and joy; yet as soon as the visitors were out of sight, sound and smell, the dog would settle down to "do its time" at once. I saw no evidence of pining.

Since those days I have had to deal with a good few cases of rabies and suspected rabies when in the tropics, and I continue to support our quarantine regulations for the sake of animals which could be exposed to this terrible death, wild life put at the same risk, and of owners and others having to deal with rabid dogs.

BRENDAN HALPIN MRCVS

Charlbury, Oxfordshire