The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-22
OUR MAD DOGS.
What Can Be Done with our Mad Dogs During
the Com ns Summer i-The Way the Trou-
b esome Beasts We're Disposed Of
Years Ago-oanger to Dogs
Without Mazxles-Will the
Pound Be Revived!

Now that the warm weather 10 uoon US the
owners II pet dogs who do not believe In
bydropheba and people who don't own dogs
AMI do behave In hydro .nobia are beginning
10 get excited the probable iato OF
the CRITTERS During tue summer months.
In IT mel ghhorns CITY OF Brooklyn 1t is stated,
reliable authority. that mad dogs have already put
In an app carance on the Pablo thorough ares 10
most uncomfortable extent; but, as yet, no Official
report has come 10 hand in this city showing that
any canine Ia at oil emotional insanity or any
other kind OF non sanity has taken hber-
ties with the mortal gear OF anybody.
Still it Is quite natural that the public
mind should be already little excited over the ru-
mocs that ahoat That several mad dogs have
seen scamperIng throu IL the streets OF Brooklyn.
The suuJect certainly not one to be treated idly
or 80 be considered as N liter OF merrinent SIM
ply. 1t IS by no means a plea sant thing for pa
reais whose little onss are allowed to exercise
the nselves in the parks and squares of tho city,
with and witaout nurses as partial protectors, to
feei tdat these same little ones are az the mercy
OF any mad whelp that comes alo e their way,
and that the city law makers have not as yet seen
mtg.
GUARD AGAINST THE DANGERS
that may increase from rabid dogs running loose
In the St cts as the hot weather grows in intensity
The question, therefore, rs to what ought to be
done TO prevent the threatened danger Is au all
imr ortant one. 1t will be remembered that sew
eTal years ago there was a pound on the east
sile OF town which was supported by the city, and
TO which all stray dogs were taken and destroyed
after certain number Of days had elapsed and
their owners nad not called Tor them. The manner
OF killing them by crushing their brains out with
clubs. unskiliuliy applied 10y the barbarous
wretches employed tor tue cruel work. became
finally repugnant TO the feelings OF the genera,
public that il was abolished fhe sight oi poor
aoes, with one or two legs broken aud their
heads half crushed H. hiding under stoops and IN
aleyHays alter having escaped ron the club me n
during the daily putehery near the river side, was
too much even for our thsn tender heart ed City
Fathers. The clubbing process was followed by
that Of the tank in which on q certain lay in the
week all tile dogs that had been found running
loose IN the streets were
nUDDLED TOGETHER AND DROWNED.
This way OF disposIng OF the CANNES was great
Improvement upon ITS immediate, predecessor. The
tank was simply an Immense boea with a wood
grating, which was firm fixed in it, about loot
'.''~ top a ter he dos were put into il. The
the bottom, and OF course,
% get their heads up further
eAagtng THE water being allowed to rise
cit to the top edge OF the tank -. destroy
ing operation was not only certain in its i. ults
but also had the additional advantage OF anording
a weekly entertainments OF the most enllvenlng
character TO every gamin about W. Tor there was
no hinderance TO their witnessing the dying ugonies
OF the poor dogs. indeed the pound. when this
mode Of destroying the dogs vas the rule. was as
popular resort as the best variety show about
town. However, the tank day fell slso into dis
use and Was cut up Tor ireso od TO warm the heart
some comprehensive eur lay snugly every ni0ut,
little thinking that what gave him warmth and
eono' mao PosSio oeen ene de "a o. many
stray dogs It should be said, did not so
SO SOFTEN THE HEARTS OF rH& MILLIONS
as TO cause Its destruction. Not al all. Ii was the
great question OF dollars and Genus that finally
Competed the ''hose man. to seek a mole human
izm1 way Of gaming livelihood and the rope
knottern to go as a foreman TO iopewalk in e
distant wids OF Williamsburg: In iacr, II was the
question OF expense which the destruction OF the
dogs would entail upon tue CITY In aler years that
did away with the tank. Some OF tie wise men OF
the east side OF town one day made calculation
10 what tie gross amount would be Ii every dog
OUT of those brought to Inc pound within the next
800 years should be paid Tor and destroy ed, and
thsfr ntuitipncatory tables were submitted for the
city authontles' meditation. IL IL unnecessary to
sas th;t norror at the sight chilled the blood Of
Prous AND poaMAr1c ALDERMAN
and that the way Of the dog transgressOr OF the
ILy ordinances was not Thereafter SO hard as 10
had been. When the oniclal dictum was made
public last Summer that the accustomed reward
paii TO small boys Iur their dog captures wond no
lon -er ne paid, IL Is said that at midnight one
misut N August, in Jones' Woods, there was held
III lher devotions to the great bog Star that
tw nkled above them Tor their safe dellverance
borne IN mind that there was really good reason
Tor the apo lshment OF the reward system which
was tue first DloY that knoc ked the tank of old
pieces; loi once the reward was withdrawn. no
small boy uld be found patriotic enough to take
stray poodle or auGht else oil the canine species
TO the pound III fact, the small boy in those days
mad become rs sharp rs reform politicians VI the
afford q ample held for their powers OF search
they extended their 1orays into Brooklyn, ay,
even over 10 the sacred SOL OF Jersey, thus
violating
THE MOST SACRED or INTERNATIONAL LAWS,
capturing foreign states most intelligent cit
zeus Oh heI own soil and then putting them TO
death In strange land without benefit OF clergy.
THIS 10 a certain class OF Brooklyn and New Jersey
fathers ana msthers was ii IL true not viewed In
the iIgbt 81 an outrage; but somehow New iork's
guaruian angels objected TO paying for foreign
subjects, ana so lowered the reward Tor captives
from nifty cents to twenty five cents per mead
Tnis niggaIdIy policy brought about a crisis, and,
a. has already been said the pound and tue tank.
werc soon numbered VITA the things the -past..-
Last Summer and the summer previous, on the
plea that there no money i'll Treasury to pay
Tor the destruction OF stray dogs, homeless ours,
susi ected ana unsupported alike oil maddening
tendencies, went where they listed, Tree Us the air
they b,eatned. The good Bergh had mucn to do
too, with the new liberty OF the stray dog, and in
celebrated letter last year proved. to his own
bic to madness IN Summer than IN Winter Il prop
ery treated. Now, then, the great question IL
WHAT DONE THIS SUMNER
with this lively dog question: Bergh has already
taken the first STEP He has asked the Mayor to ask
the Common council to give him the OF O site OF
2 onnd where he can care for stray and homeless
animals OF all Kinds, horses and cows as well as
dogs. II the site is granted and proper nDd is
awarded Tor the support oil this hospital 1t y prom
ised that the employees OF the Society for the Pre-
yention OF Cruelty TO Animals will go about by day
and night and gather into the fold all the stray
animals they can lay hands on This VIII naturally
scoop in all the dogs that are likely to 20 mad, ana
mad and worthless animals OF all kinds found are
10 he gently laid to sleep the sleep That knows no
waking by the persuasive influence OF carbolc
acid. This plan OF Berghs, II carried out. would
undoubtedly for all time prove q most effective
soother Ior the nerves OF every one who in every
peaceablc dog that roams the streets in Summer
behods creature ready to create horrors to order
In every domestic household. But Ii TO be iea ed
Bergh VIII not this summer get a chance to test
his new method OF lighting bydropnobia and ut the
sane time OF