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This item is by Lorne Wallace.

Dogs are us

Tony Keene (Kirkwynd) throws ball for dog Jack.

Tom Kelsey (Skyemore House, Duncrub) and Hollie.

Morning, midday, evening... you can hardly ever walk down the streets of Dunning village or round the Park or up the Den, or ever visit any of the parish farms, without encountering a dog, (often with its owner being tugged along on the other end of a leash).

Yes, dogs are an integral part of village and parish life.

Currently, the Dunning Parish Historical Society is busy transcribing old censuses of Dunning's human population over the last century and a half. This will give us an instant reference in future to all the people who ever lived in Dunning, at least at census time.

But there exist no records of that other large and important part of our parish population, the animals. Someday, we'd like to see some local people turn their hands to arranging a census of the domestic animal populations of the village and parish farms. It could form a base line for future such animal censuses, and reveal a good deal over the years about the animals which live with us, at different points in our history.

An easy place to start could be with Dunning's dogs.

Bob and Jackie Gray (Morris Cott., Upper Granco) and dog.	Mandy Warner (Perth Road) and dog Murphy.
Kirsty Clark (Br of Earn Rd) and dogs Jade and Holly	Raymond McIntyre (24 Latchburn) dogs Brandy and Cleo	Pat Henderson (2 Kincladie Place) and dog vennel

A simple kind of census could simply record the names of dogs, approximate ages, breeds (also of course in many cases approximate).

Other questions might include where the dog came from originally. For example, it would be interesting to know how many of our dogs came to owners from the Perthshire Abandoned Dog Society, located just down the road at the old Forteviot Station. Do any of our dogs appear in shows? Can any of our local canines be called working dogs?

Wistful, patient Geila (Jackie Gray's dog) waits by back door

Diana Zajda (Willowbank) and dog Bonny

Just an idea, but maybe it's one in which local boys and girls, as well as other dog enthusiasts, could take part?

Getting some data of History Now, for the use of future local historians and pupils.

Anybody willing to take the lead?