Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-09-09


That the dog is a noble and saga
cious animal and capable of being edu-
Gated so as to be very useful for some
purposes will be admitted by all per-
sons. Observers generally unite in
the opinion that the dog possesses a
higher degree of intelligence than any
other animal besides man. Some 20 so far
AS to accord him an additional sense TO
those possessed by man. One may
doubt or even repudiate half the dog
stories published, and still be forced TO
believe that dogs reason. No domestic
animal can be taught to perform SO
many offices as the dog. None is capa-
BILE of beng changed TO any equal e@-
tent by judicious crossing. None fur
nishes as agreeable companionship to
man. None displays rs much emotion,
feeling, gratitude, and tenderness as
the dog. None occupies so prominent
q place in the literature of all modern
nations. But In spite of all these things
the dogs that are.ordinarily found In
the country are nuisances that should
be abated in the shortest time possible.
They interfere with the acknowledged
rights of all men to "life, liberty, and
pursuit of happiness" They render
night hideous by their noise. They
obstruct travel by frightening horses,
drivers, and persons who choose or are
obliged to walk. They destroy the
happiness of children who attend
school or church. They hsrbor tieaa,
dig up flower beds, devour little birds,
frighten pets, kill sheep, worry cows,
and spread the hydrophObia. They
have no respect for life or property,
and no regard for any of the amenities
of society or any of the institutions Of
civilization They are the lshmaeIltes
of nhe entire brute creation whether
wild or demesticated. Much OF the
comfort that rightly and naturally be-
longs to country life is destroyed by
dogs, while nearly every branch of
farming is injured by them. Horses
have to be trained to go past the houses
where certain dogs are kept, in the
same manner they do when they are
obliged to go in the vicinity of locomo-
tive or stationary steam engines. Dogs
have destroyed the sheep industry in
large number of countries in every
state of the union, and what is worse
they keep it destroyed. They have
also sadly interfered with the dairy IN
terest by worrying cows, killing calves,
and frightening teams taking milk to
factories. In some sections they have
renderd poultry keeping unsafe and
have almost entirely eXtermlnated
some of the most beautiful and useful
wild birds. Without birds every field,
orchard, and garden is full of insects
injurious to vegetation. Dogs, dogs as
we find them in most country places,
add nothing to the wealth or prosperity
or comfort of the community, but do
much to detract from them all. They
do infinitely more damage than wild
ly defined. A man may Kill any wild
beast with lmpunity. In truth he is
often encouraged to take pains to do So
on account of hounIies offered to the
state or county. If he kills dog how
ever, that is vastly more dangerous than
a vol, he is liable to have his stock kill
led or his buildings burned in conse-
quence Of his Kidding the neighborh ODD
of a constant source of terror. The dog
question needs to be discussed by
farmers and all persons living in the
country. 1t also requires the attention
OF oflegislatures and "all other in author
ity." Dogs as We find them in the
country belong to a species of over
grown vermln that should be destroy
ed.