Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-07
Shooting Dogs in the Head.

HOW THE SURPLUS CANINE POPULATION Is DISPOSED
oF-"KILLING" DAY At TIE PoUSD-THE ADvAN-
TAGES OF THE WASHINGTON METHOD
IS stated II IHE STAR, the annual campaign
again't the dsgs was Ueyun several days ago The
slaughter OF the dogs has been commenced, and
already the canine population has suffered quite a
reduction by means OF the bullet When the pound
master and his assistants have dlled the dogwag
In the morning., the Captured dogs are taken to the
pouni, which Is an enclosure at the foot or 23d
street, adjoining the Observatory grounds. A high
board fence cuts of the view OF the interior which
pens These pens, which are about five feet high,
are divided by Partitions and Slated IL
front, SO that the animals confined In
traps on top Into these pens the captive dogs
are pitched, and those that ara not redeemed or
ara not considered to valus bic to Kill spend the
Iorty-ei.ht hours OF lie ai!owed them AFTER cap
ture- OEe of the poundnen COS to N Irkst every
day for the dogs, which are regularly supplied with
lected vita chemicals. aud every no ssibls care
Laksn or the health OF the ca ptiveA
PEEP INTO THE PENS
Is apt TO excite the Sympa;hies Of lover OF dogs
The dos are OF AL sA.s but represent chiefly the
lower grades of can ne society. Some OF them re-
signed to their ca tvity spend the hours In sleep or
lazy iounging. Others Sit IN eXpectlnt attitude,
waiting Tor the pen to be opened. and with eyes
10 the dogs ssts . small forest OF tails wag.iny.
The Unreiceme1 dogs are, as stated, killed forty
eignt hours after they are captured. In Case Jog
OF fine species Is let redeemed it Will De held for
Sale At the end OF about TWO W ehS. however II
the do. has not bssn ssd, it Will probably be saOt,
as by that tune the continued connne.nsnt viii
have produced dlstsmper. From iorty 10 MY dos
dispatched at L time. The WORK IL done very
quickly, and, IA Poundmdster Enstsiu Claims, with
less suffering on the part Of ths dogs than by any
other mctho1-
HOW TIE DoGs ARE KILLED.
STAR reporter was admitted to the pound en-
closure at noon yesterday, the hour appointed for
the death OF the dogs IN oas pen. The executsner
was one Of the coored employees Of the pound select
preparations which were made in the pound ONCE
were very SiI0pa, consisting only OF changing the
chambers OF TWO 32caiiuer revovers with csnterAre
cartridges A Large cAnvaS curtain produced
and suspended over tAe 'front.' OF the pens, 50 that
tine dogs inside could not anything Outside. Then
one or the pens was opened at the top. and en-
ploys climbed into 1t among the dogs he attached
rope 10 the neck or one OF the animals and lifted
him up through tho trap. By neans of the rope
The dog. Which seemed delighted to get out OF the
pen. WAS led TO OF the leucs posts and the rope
was drawn around the post So as TO hold The dog
TONER placed his n1nd on the top Of the dogs head,
then pa ssed IL Down alon. the line OF its nose, until
he had gr;spe The do. by the muzzle so as TO hold
him secure. Then he brought his pistol down W tn
N fcw Inches OF the dox-s head and tired. The
dog collapsed at once. never uiterins sign. or CIV
ins any sign OF pain, except few cunvuiave Mus-
cular motions. noticeable about the tail sometime
after the rest ui the dog eIned 10 be stone dead.
The body was thrown aside. and another dog was
DGOuSul Uul dLu ulSpdtcneU III the
sa Me way. and 20 on until all the dogs in the pen
had been killed. None OF the dogs made any noise
alter being SHOT, and there was no demonstration
on the part OF the DOS in the pen. which could hear
the firing tut could not the slaughter The bullet
in every passed thrCu.h the skull, IN the CEN
ter about inch above the eyes producing almost
instant death.
THE VITAL ENERGY OF 4 DOGS TAIL
The vital energy iert in the dogs tails was mat
ter OF remark. The tails Of some OF the animals
waged furlously after the rest Of the body seemed
Stincned in death Ia the case Of one or the caT-
Gases upon the top OF the heap. the tail kept up
rapid motion for s0metirns Then the motion grad
uaiy decreased In rapidty until IL finally ceased
altoes .r three or four minutes after 1t was shot.
ut IS said tnat The dog wag5 the tall remarked
Nr. E.ns,eln TO THs srAR reporter while the latter
but in tll, that tail wags ITSELF the dog has
nOtnin. To do with It." As soon a. the dogs were
killed desd-aniMaI wagon was driven into the
incosuIs tue carcases We're heaped upon it, and at
once lihen away.
"Waea 1 fir,t took charge Of the pound" said
Mr.. Ein5tein II 1ound that the dogs were killed
with y inu..et dog would be tlirned out into
the ard, and man would pepper away At 1t with q
mushet loaded with shot. Sometime, The load would
Sometimes tue dog would not be killed and would
go bowling about the place for ten or fifteen min
utes until the musket couli be loaded again and
fired went 10 DR.. Verdi, wuO was health officer
then and SAD that the sStsm ought to b. changed.
l suggested that the work could be done better
with pistol. SO pistol furnished, and we
have been killing the dogs in that way ever since
Are the dogs killed always by the first Snot?''
asked TIE SIAE reporter.
''s0iEeti:ocs when DO. has very hard skull or
moves his bead Jrtae just the shot is fired. 1t Is
Necessary 10 shoot hin twice. We Use Seif-cock-
Ing pistol, sc the second shot is fred Immediately.
Stlcl ca>sS, however. are very rare"
You think your method better than drowning?"
"Mucn better. said Nj. EinsteiD. ''for the dogs
do not suffer at all Some time ago, in rhiladel-
PIMA. u fddies' society there devised a msLhSd OF
killing the dogs by placia. tnslu In an alright
b'x or chaulesr and then turning ON gas. which
Was supposed 10 Kill them sometimes after the
dogs hId b-cn Out 10 the air fifteen minutes they
r-turned 10 lie and ran away. Why, In New vsrk
ole uiy ufty-three dogs supposed TO have been
Killed by this method Jumped of the dead-animal
" son anu ran away. We always sure our
Co., are dead"