Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-10-25
Sheop Killing Dogs.

Pretty much the whole canine fiL
tcrnity may bc classed as "shcep kill,
ing dogs" 1t runs in tho blood back
to tho frat dog, whether We create.
him in tho Mosaic creation, or clean
back in protoplasm. We have no
doubt tho first dog was born with his
teeth at a Sleeps neck, sucking blood
several days before he took TO his
mothers milk We do not know how
else TO account for the blood lhirstir
ness Of dogs, and their pcnchant for
sleeps blood in particular, upon any
other hypothesis. Ofcourso no mans
dog in particular has this propensity,
and OF course yonr own dog never
kills sheep We never found dog
owner yet that would acknowledge
his cur guilty unless two men wer6
ready TO swear that they canght him
in the act, and then it is always tho
first oflense, though hundreds OF saeep
have been mangled and killed in Tho
neighborhood, Tho old rule of pro.
snmcd innocence will not do in this
case. 1t is TO be presumed that every
dog no matter what his breed, size OF
training is II born sheep killer. We
lately y caught u trained pointer yDase
acquaintance was presumed to be
mainly with birds, in tho act of run.
ming down sheep. All his ussocia.
tions bad been clear Of sheep and ho
looked as innocent as a lamb; and yet
the moment he got sight Of a flock ho
pitched into them as If he had been
trained to the smell Of wool, and noti,.
ing else. This Instinct for Sleeps
blood is absolutely uncOntrUiiuUic, ann
VIC may as we'll face this fact at once,
and base our legislation upon IT,
Even here, in Connecticut, where VIC
have laws, and attempt TO regulate
animal instincts and TO some extent
mete out justice between man and
man, our dogs, numbered and heavily
taxed, kill sheep, and farmers get only
partial compensation for their losses.
If the dog tax meets these looscs, well
and good if not the farmer suffers.
This, Of course, operates disastrQgsly
upon shccp.raising, one Of the moss
profitable branches Of husbandry in
the Eastern States. 1t is especially
discouraging TO investments in tho
rough bred animals. Cotswolds, with
a good pedigree, nre worth n hundred
dollars each. Ten Of these anims,7
cost a farmer thousand dollars. 1t
would be small job for a dog not
worth ten cents for any purpose but
the manure hoap, TO destroy all this
property in orc night. 1t is smart
agricultural town that collects the tax
on five hundred dogs, and gets thou.
sand dollars into its treasury Few
men can afford to run risk Of palling
so much money into stock that is tnadj
insecure. Dogs are tho great hind.
rance to the extension Of sheep cult.
ure. We want radical change in the
character of our legislation The law
should presume that the whole race is
guilty, and not only tax dog owrcrq,
but make them responsible for every
sheep killed by dogs in the town If
| keep no dog, there is no sense taxing
me- for what my ncighbor destroys by
his vicious taste, If there are bu: ten
men in town that wish to indulge in
this luXury, let thom give bonds 10
pay the damage done by their ours.
Let them be compelled 10 keep their
dogs muzzled or Gagged as they woull
wolves We would not have any
mans freedom interfercd with in any
way. lie may keep rattle snakes, it
it suits his fancy, but he should not
keep them on the highway or in his
neighbor's pasture Dogs aro much
more dangerous to man and beasts
than serpcnts.-Heayth and Home.